The unfair practice of giving special preference or advantages to certain people over others.
From 'favourite' plus the suffix '-ism' (meaning a practice or system), itself from Latin and Greek roots. The word emerged in the 17th century to describe the political practice of showing bias toward particular courtiers or advisors.
Favoritism appears everywhere—in classrooms, sports teams, hiring decisions—and every culture has a word for it because it's a universal human problem. The word became common during European royal courts where kings would shower privileges on specific nobles, creating resentment and instability.
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