affiliation
Americannoun
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affiliations
plural
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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Legend
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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.
See Examples For:
While that may explain his affiliation with Trump, Kennedy also said he could literally pick up anything dead along the side of the road and eat it.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Plagiarism claims against Arday were first made in July by Nathan Cofnas, a US academic and self-defined "race realist" whose research affiliation with a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 amid racism accusations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
His challenger will be identified as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party affiliation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
But Alibaba countered the argument, saying none of the members of its independent board had any military affiliation.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
After a few minutes of awkward suspense, Bobby looked up and read aloud a reporter’s name, his affiliation, and the first question.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
A poll last year found no change in South Koreans' religious affiliations, with 16 percent identifying as Buddhist.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Oregon and Pennsylvania also took the charity to court over the misleading jingle in 2009, resulting in a $130,000 fine and a requirement to disclose its affiliations in all advertisements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
Additional company affiliations and potential conflicts of interest are detailed in the published study.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 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
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.
