Favor vs. Grace — What's the Difference?

Friendly favor.

Divine grace.

Political favor.

Poise and grace.

Reciprocal favor.

Grace in forgiveness.

Social favor.

Grace period.

Emergency favor.

State of grace.

A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted

Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.

Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support

A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.

A state of being held in such regard

A sense of fitness or propriety.

Unfair partiality; favoritism

A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.

A privilege or concession

Mercy; clemency.

Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.

A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.

A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.

A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.

Advantage; benefit

Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.

Behalf; interest

Divine favor bestowed freely on people, as in granting redemption from sin.

(Obsolete) A communication, especially a letter.

The state of having received such favor.

Aspect or appearance.

An excellence or power granted by God.

Countenance; face.

A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.

(Obsolete) A facial feature.

Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop.

To perform a kindness or service for; oblige.

(Music) An appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornament in the music of 16th and 17th century England.

To have a liking for; be partial to; prefer

To honor or favor

To approve, advocate, or support

To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.

To show partiality or unfair preference to

(Music) To embellish with grace notes.

To believe to be most likely to succeed

Charming, pleasing qualities.

To be advantageous to; make more likely to be successful

(countable) A short prayer of thanks before or after a meal.

To speed up or otherwise increase the success of (a chemical process or pathway)

In the games of patience or solitaire: a special move that is normally against the rules.

To treat with care; be gentle with

A grace note.

Chiefly Southern US To resemble in appearance

(uncountable) Elegant movement; balance or poise.

To resemble another in appearance

An allowance of time granted to a debtor during which he or she is free of at least part of his normal obligations towards the creditor.

A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).

Free and undeserved favour, especially of God; unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification, or for resisting sin.

Goodwill; benevolent regard.

An act or decree of the governing body of an English university.

A small gift; a party favor.

(transitive) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.

Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.

(transitive) To dignify or raise by an act of favour; to honour.

The object of regard; person or thing favoured.

(transitive) To supply with heavenly grace.

(obsolete) Appearance; look; countenance; face.

To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.

(legal) Partiality; bias

The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.

(archaic) A letter, a written communication.

The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.

(obsolete) Anything worn publicly as a pledge of a woman's favor.

The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon.

(obsolete) A ribbon or similar small item that is worn as an adornment, especially in celebration of an event.

Fortune; luck; - used commonly with hard or sorry when it means misfortune.

To look upon fondly; to prefer.

Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.

To use more often.

Beauty, physical, intellectual, or moral; loveliness; commonly, easy elegance of manners; perfection of form.

To encourage, conduce to

Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse.

To do a favor [noun sense 1] for; to show beneficence toward.

The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England.

To treat with care.

Thanks.

To resemble; especially, to look like (another person).

A petition for grace; a blessing asked, or thanks rendered, before or after a meal.

Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will.

Ornamental notes or short passages, either introduced by the performer, or indicated by the composer, in which case the notation signs are called grace notes, appeggiaturas, turns, etc.

The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending.

An act, vote, or decree of the government of the institution; a degree or privilege conferred by such vote or decree.

A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.

A play designed to promote or display grace of motion. It consists in throwing a small hoop from one player to another, by means of two sticks in the hands of each. Called also grace hoop or hoops.

Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.

To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.

The object of regard; person or thing favored.

To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.

A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.

To supply with heavenly grace.

Appearance; look; countenance; face.

To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.

Partiality; bias.

(Bhristian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence;

A letter or epistle; - so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.

Elegance and beauty of movement or expression

Love locks.

A sense of propriety and consideration for others

To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards.

A disposition to kindness and compassion; benign good will;

To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.

(Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors

To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.

A short prayer of thanks before a meal

An act of gracious kindness

(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God;

An advantage to the benefit of someone or something;

Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.;

An inclination to approve;

Be beautiful to look at;

A feeling of favorable regard

Souvenir consisting of a small gift given to a guest at a party

Promote over another;

Consider as the favorite;

Treat gently or carefully

Bestow a privilege upon

In religion, grace often refers to divine help given to humans for their spiritual renewal.

Yes, grace can also refer to elegance or a period allowed for compliance, like a grace period.

Favors can strengthen social bonds or create obligations between individuals.

A favor is an act of kindness or assistance given voluntarily.

Common situations include asking for help in personal tasks, professional support, or emergencies.

Typically, grace is considered unearned and a gift, especially in Christian theology.

In many contexts, yes, but it can also refer to secular forms of elegance or patience.

Favors might be reciprocal, while grace is offered without expectation of repayment.

Grace is viewed differently but generally involves some form of divine mercy or assistance.

Showing grace can be through acts of kindness, forgiveness, and maintaining dignity under pressure.