affiliation

American  

[uh-fil-ee-ey-shuhn] / əˌfɪl iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• affiliations
  plural

1. the act of affiliating; state of being affiliated or associated.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interaffiliation
  noun
• nonaffiliation
  noun
• preaffiliation
  noun
• reaffiliation
  noun
• superaffiliation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• affiliations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of affiliation

First recorded in 1745–55; from Medieval Latin affīliātiōn-, stem of affīliātiō “adoption”; equivalent to affiliate + -ion

Explanation

An affiliation is an official connection to something. To have an affiliation to something is to be affiliated with it. The Tea Party pretty clearly has an affiliation with the Republican Party. You can be connected to all sorts of things, but to have an affiliation is to have an official connection. A local church might have an affiliation with a larger religious organization. A bunch of small groups might share an affiliation with a larger one, as in the case of baseball teams and the leagues they belong to. Often you'll hear politicians denying any affiliation with certain groups, places, or companies, because they want to appear neutral. If you have an affiliation with something, you're likely to pay it extra attention.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

affiliation affiliations

Lyndsey Fox, Nicole Brown and Paul Sexton have had their party affiliation changed to independent on the Durham County Council website, external, although none has given precise reasons for their shift.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Like most colleges, Harvard doesn’t not track students by religious affiliation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Typically, state and federal officials work together to conduct joint investigations, share evidence, and pursue justice regardless of political affiliation.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

Schalk has had dual-citizenship since birth and has switched his affiliation to Team USA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Official players on the floor shine in the dark, their outfits lit up in neon, their names, team affiliation, and level hovering over their heads like golden trophies.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

The study involved more than 40 researchers representing institutional affiliations across multiple countries.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Even the public versions, which political parties and candidates routinely obtain to target ads and messages, included voters’ addresses, birth dates and party affiliations.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

A poll last year found no change in South Koreans' religious affiliations, with 16 percent identifying as Buddhist.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

“They believe in different political affiliations, different beliefs, but they all wholeheartedly encouraged us, and I think that’s a victory for all of us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

And so when Federalist leaders from New York approached him as a prospective candidate for the gubernatorial race, he indicated a willingness to switch party affiliations and run in his home state as a Federalist.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• connection
• partnership
• relationship