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Glite Dictionary
🚫 Not approved 👎 To dislike ⬇️ To disadvantage
to disfavor

to disfavor

1 6.9
To put someone or something at a disadvantage
  • verb
  • /dɪsˈfeɪvər/
translation icon : desfavorecer
  • Rather, extrinsic reasons disfavor commodifying promises because doing so would facilitate exchanges that are improper for other reasons.
  • disfavoring students

Examples

  • The courts and EEOC clearly disfavor it, as well they should, as it is legal discrimination.

    Academic text (2016)

  • So it is little wonder that the Uniform Commercial Code disfavors rigid adherence to consideration doctrine for sales contracts.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Ideally, the examination should not favor or disfavor any particular system.

    Academic text (1993)

  • So in general, this means the enthalpy will disfavor mixing, right?

  • More particular principles of considerable current importance disfavor retroactivity.

    Academic text (2001)

  • We share your view that law-abiding businesses should not be targeted simply for operating in an industry that a particular administration might disfavor.

    Academic text (2018)

  • A society might determine, for example, that anti-polygamy laws disfavor one particular family structure and thus cause unfair treatment of those within that structure.

    Blog text (7)

  • Liberalization, moreover, has socio-economic effects that favor certain members of society and disfavor others.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The result in Allen Park, however, represents a fact-specific exception to a general trend that disfavors direct orders.

    Academic text (1992)

  • His harsh comments were meant to disfavor her chances of being promoted.

Synonyms

to hinder
vsto disfavor
75 3.6

To make it difficult for people or things to do something

is about causing disadvantage or harm rather than just obstruction
to disadvantage
vsto disfavor
18 4.7

To make someone or something less able to succeed than others

focuses on hindering progress and harming rather than relative position
to handicap
vsto disfavor
2 4.9

To make it harder for someone to do something because of injury or illness

is about causing disadvantage and harm rather than impairing abilities
to disserve
vsto disfavor
1 8.8

To cause harm that makes someone worse off

is about hindering progress and broader harm rather than a single harmful act
to defease
vsto disfavor
9.9

To stop someone from gaining power or success

aims at disadvantaging or hindering progress rather than fully removing power

How Harmful

to destroy
∞ 1.0
to cripple
72 6.3
to harm
738 1.0
to disfavor
1 6.9
to impede
35 6.5

Surface Forms

disfavor infinitive
disfavored past
disfavored past participle
disfavoring present participle
disfavors third person singular

Morphology

disfavor = favor (semi-transparent) = dis + favor

The link to 'favor' is clear, but the stronger sense 'put at a disadvantage or harm' is an extended interpretation rather than a purely mechanical negation.

Etymology

Disfavor comes from dis- 'not' and favor 'support', the same pieces you see in dislike. So, to disfavor a group is to 'give them less support' and make things harder for them.