affiliation
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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interaffiliationnoun
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nonaffiliationnoun
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preaffiliationnoun
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reaffiliationnoun
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superaffiliationnoun
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing affiliation
President Obama's Farewell Address
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Dear Martin
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We expected immigration positions to tie directly to political affiliation, but results cut across party lines, with 79% of Republicans, 88% of independents and 95% of Democrats in favor.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
The defendants have denied any affiliation with Antifa and have said they attended the demonstration to support detained immigrants.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
To make the videos go viral, Polymarket worked with thousands of low-wage social-media users—often teens based in Asia—to repost the videos from sockpuppet accounts that hid their Polymarket affiliation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Repeatedly witnessing harm directed at our own groups, even when we’re not the immediate target, can have a significant psychological impact on people from the same group affiliation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 16, 2026
Each wak’a had its own mean- ing, relative status, social affiliation, and set of ceremonial uses.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
