favorance
Very Low (Obsolete/Rare/Archaic)Archaic/Formal/Literary
Definition
Meaning
The act of showing favor or kindness; support, patronage, or approval.
A formal or official act of endorsement or sanction; a state of being favored, especially by a superior.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
This word is largely obsolete in modern English. It was historically used to denote the concrete act of favoring or the state of being in favor. Modern synonyms like 'favor', 'support', or 'patronage' have completely supplanted it.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No contemporary difference exists as the term is obsolete in both varieties. Historically, it may have appeared in formal British legal or ecclesiastical contexts slightly later than in American English, but evidence is sparse.
Connotations
Archaic, formal, possibly pretentious if used today.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in modern corpora for both BrE and AmE. It is a dictionary word marked as archaic.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
seek N from Ygain N of YN of Y (e.g., favorance of the king)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fall out of favorance”
- “in high favorance”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical texts analyzing older English.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The knight sought the favorance of the queen. (Historical context)
- His rapid promotion was due entirely to the Duke's personal favorance.
- The poet's works flourished under the favorance of his aristocratic patron, but waned after the latter's death.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'FAVOR' + 'ANCE' = the state or act of having FAVOR. It's an old-fashioned noun form of 'favour/favor'.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAVOR IS A SUBSTANCE THAT CAN BE GIVEN (He granted his favorance). / FAVOR IS A POSITION (He was in the king's favorance).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'преимущество' (advantage). The closest is 'благосклонность', 'расположение', or 'покровительство'. It is a noun, not a verb.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in modern speech or writing. Mistaking it for the verb 'to favor'. Incorrectly forming 'favorance' as a present participle (e.g., 'He is favorancing me').
Practice
Quiz
'Favorance' in a historical text most nearly means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is marked as archaic or obsolete in all major dictionaries. It was used from the 15th to 18th centuries.
No. Using it would be incorrect for modern English and would likely confuse your reader. Use 'favor', 'support', or 'patronage' instead.
'Favor' is the standard, modern noun and verb. 'Favorance' is an archaic noun that specifically denotes the act or state of favoring. They were once synonyms, but 'favorance' fell out of use.
For recognition only, not for active use. You may encounter it in historical novels, plays, or documents. It illustrates how English word formation changes over time.