affiliate

[verb uh-fil-ee-eyt; noun uh-fil-ee-it, -eyt]

verb (used with object), af·fil·i·at·ed, af·fil·i·at·ing.

to bring into close association or connection: The research center is affiliated with the university.
to attach or unite on terms of fellowship; associate (usually followed by with in U.S. usage, by to in Brit. usage): to affiliate with the church.
to trace the descent, derivation, or origin of: to affiliate a language.

to adopt.
Law. to fix the paternity of, as an illegitimate child: The mother affiliated her child upon John Doe.

verb (used without object), af·fil·i·at·ed, af·fil·i·at·ing.

to associate oneself; be intimately united in action or interest.

noun

a branch organization.
Commerce.
1. a business concern owned or controlled in whole or in part by another concern.
2. a subsidiary.
a person who is affiliated; associate; auxiliary.

Origin of affiliate

1755–65; < Latin affīliātus adopted as son (past participle of affīliāre), equivalent to af- af- + fīli(us) son + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsaf·fil·i·a·ble

[uh-fil-ee-uh-buh l] /əˈfɪl i ə bəl/, adjectiveaf·fil·i·a·tive

[uh-fil-ee-ey-tiv, -fil-ee-uh-] /əˈfɪl iˌeɪ tɪv, -ˈfɪl i ə-/, adjectivenon·af·fil·i·ate, nounnon·af·fil·i·at·ing, adjectivepre·af·fil·i·ate, nounpre·af·fil·i·ate, verb, pre·af·fil·i·at·ed, pre·af·fil·i·at·ing.re·af·fil·i·ate, verb, re·af·fil·i·at·ed, re·af·fil·i·at·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for affiliative

affiliate

verb (əˈfɪlɪˌeɪt)

(tr; foll by to or with) to receive into close connection or association (with a larger body, group, organization, etc); adopt as a member, branch, etc
(foll by with) to associate (oneself) or be associated, esp as a subordinate or subsidiary; bring or come into close connectionhe affiliated himself with the Union

noun (əˈfɪlɪɪt, -ˌeɪt)

1. a person or organization that is affiliated with another
2. (as modifier)an affiliate member

Derived Formsaffiliation, noun

Word Origin for affiliate

C18: from Medieval Latin affīliātus adopted as a son, from affīlīare, from Latin filius son

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for affiliative

affiliate

1761, from Latin affiliatus, past participle of affiliare "to adopt" (see affiliation). Outside legal use, always figurative. Related: Affiliated; affiliating.

affiliate

adj.

1858, from affiliate (v.).

affiliate

1846, from affiliate (v.).