Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "favorite son" [favorite son]

  • A man favored for nomination as a presidential candidate by his own state delegates at a national political convention. (noun)
  • A famous man viewed proudly by his hometown for his achievements. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "favorite son" in a sentence
  • "And in that same instant, the stadium crowd went from screaming encouragement to its favorite son to the reenergized roar that signaled the resurrection of a chase."
  • "After the word leaked out of my agreement to run as a favorite son in the primary, I began getting calls from Republicans around the country asking me if it was true that my name was going to be placed in nomination as a candidate."
  • "Also in the paper, the results of a Gallup poll predicting that Robert Kennedy would beat either Republican, Nixon or Rockefeller, and a wry note saying that ex-actor Ronald Reagan had been chosen as California's favorite son candidate."
Words like "favorite son"