affinity

American  

[uh-fin-i-tee] / əˈfɪn ɪ ti /

noun

• affinities
  plural

1. a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.

   Synonyms:

   bent, leaning, sympathy, fondness, partiality

   Antonyms:

   aversion, dislike

2. a person, thing, idea, etc., for which such a natural liking or attraction is felt.

3. relationship by marriage or by ties other than those of blood (distinguished from consanguinity).

4. inherent likeness or agreement; close resemblance or connection.

   Synonyms:

   compatible, similarity

   Antonyms:

   disparity, dissimilarity

5. Biology. the phylogenetic relationship between two organisms or groups of organisms resulting in a resemblance in general plan or structure, or in the essential structural parts.

6. Chemistry. the force by which atoms are held together in chemical compounds.

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adjective

1. of or relating to persons who share the same interests.

   to arrange charter flights for opera lovers and other affinity groups.

affinity British  

/ əˈfɪnɪtɪ /

noun

1. a natural liking, taste, or inclination towards a person or thing

2. the person or thing so liked

3. a close similarity in appearance or quality; inherent likeness

4. relationship by marriage or by ties other than of blood, as by adoption Compare consanguinity

5. similarity in structure, form, etc, between different animals, plants, or languages

6. chem

   1. the tendency for two substances to combine; chemical attraction

   2. A. a measure of the tendency of a chemical reaction to take place expressed in terms of the free energy change

7. biology a measure of the degree of interaction between two molecules, such as an antigen and antibody or a hormone and its receptor

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affinity Scientific  

/ ə-fĭn′ĭ-tē /

1. A relationship or resemblance in structure between species that suggests a common origin.

2. An attraction or force between particles that causes them to combine, as the attraction between an antigen and an antibody.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaffinity
  noun
• affinitive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• affinities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of affinity

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English affinite, from Middle French, from Latin affīnitās “connection by marriage”; equivalent to affine + -ity

Explanation

If you get along with someone very well, you have an affinity with them. Sometimes opposites attract, so you might feel a strange affinity to someone who is seemingly very different from you. When you are attracted to someone or something a great deal, we say that you have an affinity, a natural connection. Likewise, scientists use affinity to describe organisms that are alike or resemble each other. Interestingly, the Middle English word, affinite, originally applied to people who were connected or related by marriage, rather than by biology.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

affinity affinities

“The question is ultimately about familiarity, affinity, and allyship—not as symbolic gestures, but as evidence accumulated over years of shared political struggle. It is a proxy for trust,” he wrote.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Green recalls having a real affinity with Alexander.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

As in those first-rate productions, she displays an admirable affinity for shaping ensemble works, allowing all the actors to shine, with careful attention to drawing forth contoured performances in even the smaller roles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

There is no finding that Life Surge is operating an affinity fraud, and the company denies wrongdoing.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

“It is indeed. Mr. Griswold has a special affinity for his work.”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Mr. Lloyd isn’t the first musician to explore affinities between jazz and Indian music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But the non-college-educated voters who have traditionally been his bedrock supporters are facing so much financial strain these days that his cultural affinities, even when they’re somewhat authentic, just don’t cut it.

From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026

Kurds, while mostly Sunni, share cultural and linguistic affinities with Persians and have historically had less friction with the Iranian state than with fellow Kurds in Iraq and Turkey.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

What joined them together, I think, were kind of dark affinities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024

The origins of their language are among the most disputed questions of linguistics: for not a single other one of the world’s major languages are the affinities to other languages still in doubt.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• affection
• closeness
• fondness
• leaning
• rapport
• sympathy
• weakness