favourite

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
favourite /ˈfeɪvərɪt/ (US favorite)

▶adjective preferred to all others of the same kind. ▶noun

• 1 a favourite person or thing.

• 2 the competitor thought most likely to win.

– phrases
favourite son

• 1 a famous man who is particularly popular in his native area.

• 2 US a person supported as a presidential candidate by delegates from the candidate's home state.

– origin C16 (as n.): from obs. Fr. favorit, from Ital. favorito, past part. of favorire ‘to favour’.