affiliation

American  

[uh-fil-ee-ay-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

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Etymology

Origin of affiliation

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

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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

Nearly a quarter had an unknown or unclassified religious affiliation.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

Though she had no known affiliation with Rihanna, Ortiz often posted on social media about celebrities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

But those who list no religious affiliation account for slightly over half the French population, far outnumbering Catholics at 29%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

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

In the hood, your school affiliation was essential.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Later this month, LinkedIn is rolling out a feature that lets verified employers sever users’ affiliations with their companies instantly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

"Once the investigations are completed, we will reveal to the public the identities of the cell's members, their roles, and all of their affiliations and connections," he wrote on X.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department’s funding decisions.”

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

Over time, through intermarriage and social affiliations, a black nobility emerged in Durham, with few links to working people like Ann Atwater.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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Related Words

• connection
• partnership
• relationship

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