Favorable, a. [Written also favourable.]
Etymology: [F. favorable, L. favorabilis favored, popular, pleasing, fr. favor. See Favor, n.]
1. Full of favor; favoring; manifesting partiality; kind; propitious; friendly. Lend favorable ears to our request. Shak. Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land. Ps. lxxxv. 1.
2. Conducive; contributing; tending to promote or facilitate; advantageous; convenient. A place very favorable for the making levies of men. Clarendon. The temper of the climate, favorable to generation, health, and long life. Sir W. Temple.
3. Beautiful; well-favored. [Obs.] Spenser. -- Fa"vora*ble*ness, n. -- Fa"vor*a*bly, sdv. The faborableness of the present times to all extertions in the cause of liberty. Burke.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for favorable; he lists it under friendly, propitious.
Where he writes about it:
We speak of a cordial greeting, a favorable reception, a neighborly call, a sociable visitor, an amicable settlement, a kind interest, a friendly regard, a hearty welcome. — from friendly
That which is auspicious is of favorable omen; that which is propitious is of favoring influence or tendency; as, an auspicious morning; a propitious breeze. — from propitious
Propitious applies to persons, implying kind disposition and favorable inclinations, especially toward the suppliant; auspicious is not used of persons. — from propitious