Favouritism

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1. Definition + Rich Everyday Explanation

Favouritism (noun, uncountable) = the unfair practice of giving advantages, opportunities, or better treatment to certain people over others, usually based on personal preference rather than merit.

“Favouritism” describes one of the most universally resented behaviours in human society — when someone in a position of power gives special treatment to people they personally like, rather than treating everyone fairly. It’s the opposite of impartiality and meritocracy.

The word carries a strongly negative connotation. When we accuse someone of favouritism, we’re saying they’re being unfair, biased, and possibly corrupt. A manager who promotes their friend over a more qualified colleague is showing favouritism. A teacher who gives better marks to students they like is guilty of favouritism. A parent who treats one child better than another displays favouritism.

What makes favouritism particularly frustrating is that it’s often denied or hidden. People rarely admit to it. They find justifications: “She’s just more talented,” “He works harder,” “They understand me better.” But everyone around them can see the pattern of unfair preference.

Favouritism exists everywhere — in families, schools, workplaces, sports teams, and politics. It damages trust, morale, and motivation. Why work hard if the boss’s favourite always gets the promotion? Why try your best if the teacher already has preferred students?

Note: British English spells it “favouritism” while American English uses “favoritism” — both are correct in their respective contexts.

Examples from the street:

• “The coach was accused of favouritism after picking his nephew for the team” → people believed he selected family over better players
• “There’s obvious favouritism in this office — certain people get away with anything” → some employees receive unfairly lenient treatment
• “Parents must be careful not to show favouritism between their children” → they shouldn’t treat one child better than the others

2. Most Common Patterns

• show favouritism → display unfair preference toward certain people
• accuse someone of favouritism → claim someone is being unfairly biased
• favouritism towards/toward + person/group → unfair preference directed at specific people
• guilty of favouritism → responsible for showing unfair preference
• avoid favouritism → make efforts to treat everyone fairly
• allegations/claims of favouritism → accusations that someone is being biased

3. Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms directly containing “favouritism” — these are related expressions:

• play favourites → show favouritism; treat certain people better than others unfairly

  Example: “A good manager never plays favourites — everyone should be judged on their work.”

• teacher’s pet → a student who is the obvious favourite of a teacher (often used mockingly)

  Example: “She always gets praised because she’s the teacher’s pet — it’s pure favouritism.”

4. Example Sentences

1. The manager was accused of favouritism after promoting her best friend ahead of more experienced staff

   → People claimed the supervisor was being unfairly biased when she advanced her close companion over qualified colleagues.

2. Good leaders avoid favouritism by using clear, objective criteria for all decisions

   → Effective managers prevent unfair preference by applying transparent, measurable standards to every choice.

3. There’s widespread favouritism towards candidates from elite universities in the recruitment process

   → Applicants from prestigious institutions receive unfair preference during hiring.

4. Children are incredibly sensitive to favouritism — they notice even small differences in treatment

   → Young people detect unfair preference immediately, even when adults think they’re being subtle.

5. The referee was guilty of favouritism — he gave the home team every benefit of the doubt

   → The official showed clear bias; he made every borderline decision in favour of the local side.

6. Allegations of favouritism have damaged the committee’s reputation for fairness

   → Claims of unfair preference have harmed the group’s image as an impartial body.

7. She showed no favouritism in grading papers — everyone received exactly what they deserved

   → She displayed no bias when marking; each student got the grade their work merited.

8. Workplace favouritism destroys morale and drives talented employees to quit

   → Unfair preference at work crushes motivation and causes skilled staff to leave.

9. Critics claim the awards ceremony is riddled with favouritism and political connections

   → Detractors argue the prize ceremony is full of bias and relies on influential relationships.

10. It’s not favouritism if someone genuinely performs better than everyone else

    → It’s not unfair preference if a person truly delivers superior results compared to others.

5. Personal Examples

1. Teachers must be careful not to show favouritism to students who participate frequently, as quieter learners also deserve attention

   → Educators should avoid unfairly preferring vocal pupils, since reserved students equally need recognition.

2. When I ask for feedback on my English, I want honest criticism — not favouritism that hides my mistakes

   → When I request evaluation of my language skills, I prefer genuine assessment, not biased kindness that conceals errors.

6. Register: Neutral

✔ Native usage tips

• “Favouritism” is always negative — there’s no positive way to use this word; if preference is justified, we use other terms like “recognition” or “reward”
• “Play favourites” is the casual, conversational way to express the same idea — more common in everyday speech than “show favouritism”
• The word often appears in workplace and educational contexts where fairness is expected
• When denying favouritism, people often say “I don’t play favourites” rather than “I don’t show favouritism”

✔ Similar expressions / words

• Bias → broader term for unfair inclination; favouritism specifically involves preferring certain people
• Nepotism → favouritism specifically toward family members, especially in hiring or promotion
• Preferential treatment → more neutral phrasing; can sometimes be justified, unlike favouritism which implies unfairness