Definition
The practice of giving preferential treatment to certain people over others, often based on personal preference rather than merit. In family systems, it creates lasting emotional wounds and sibling rivalry that can persist into adulthood.
Etymology
From Latin 'favor' meaning 'goodwill' or 'support,' with the suffix '-ism' indicating a practice or system. The term evolved from political contexts to describe unfair preference-giving, later adopted in psychology to understand family dynamics and their lasting effects.
Kelly Says
Favoritism is like emotional sunlight and shadow in a family garden - the favored child may bloom but often struggles with guilt and pressure to be perfect, while the unfavored child learns they must earn love through achievement or people-pleasing. Both positions create their own unique psychological burdens that can last a lifetime.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ተራራሪነት
terararinet
ARالعربية
التفضيل
al-tafḍīl
BNবাংলা
পক্ষপাত
pokkhopat
CACatalà
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-muh
CSČeština
favoritismus
fah-voh-ree-teez-mus
DADansk
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-muh
DEDeutsch
Vorzugsbehandlung
fohrt-soogs-bay-hant-loong
ELΕλληνικά
ειδικισμός
eeth-ee-kee-zmohs
ESEspañol
favoritismo
fah-voh-ree-teez-moh
FAفارسی
حامیگری
ḥāmī-garī
FISuomi
suosituksenanto
soo-oh-see-toh-ksen-ahnt-oh
FRFrançais
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
HIहिन्दी
पक्षपात
pakṣapāt
HUMagyar
favoritizmus
fah-voh-ree-teez-moos
IDBahasa Indonesia
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-meh
IGIG
ọnọdụ ọnụ
oh-noh-doo oh-noo
ITItaliano
favoritismo
fah-voh-ree-teez-moh
KKKK
фаворитизм
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
KMKM
ភាពជាបុគ្គល
phiăp chiă pŭkkuļ
MSBahasa Melayu
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-meh
MYမြန်မာ
အကြိုက်ဆောင်မှု
aakyaung hsaung hmu
NLNederlands
favoritisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-muh
NONorsk
favorittisme
fah-voh-ree-teez-muh
PLPolski
faworyzowanie
fah-voh-ree-zoh-vah-neh
PTPortuguês
favoritismo
fah-voh-ree-teez-moo
RORomână
favoritism
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
RUРусский
фаворитизм
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
SVSvenska
favoritism
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
SWKiswahili
upendeleo
oo-pehn-deh-leh-oh
TEతెలుగు
అనుకూలత
anukūlata
THไทย
การเอาแต่ใจ
kār ao tāe jai
TLTL
paboritismo
pah-boh-ree-teez-moh
TRTürkçe
yiğitlik
yee-eet-leek
UKУкраїнська
фаворитизм
fah-voh-ree-teez-m
VITiếng Việt
sự thiên vị
thiên vee
YOYO
ìfọwọ́sílẹ̀
ee-foh-woh-see-leh
ZUZU
ukuthembeka
oo-koo-thehm-beh-kah
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Favoritism language intensified in professional contexts post-1970s when women entered workforces at scale, exposing how informal preference networks (often male-dominated) blocked advancement.
Inclusive Usage
Call out favoritism explicitly when discussing hiring, promotion, or resource allocation; it's how systemic bias perpetuates quietly.