definitions

affinity

[ uh-fin-i-tee ]
/ əˈfɪn ɪ ti /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR affinity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural af·fin·i·ties.

adjective

of or relating to persons who share the same interests: to arrange charter flights for opera lovers and other affinity groups.

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English Affixes From A To Z: A One-Stop List Of Suffixes, Prefixes, and Combining FormsIn English, we love to make new words by adding all sorts of bits to the front and back of existing terms. These are called affixes, and they are added to the base or stem of a word. When attached to the end of word, the affix is called a suffix. And to the beginning? A prefix.
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RELATED WORDS

weakness, closeness, rapport, sympathy, fondness, leaning, affection, resemblance, kinship, thing, partiality, attraction, compatibility, cotton, druthers, correspondence, similitude, semblance, likeness, relationship

Nearby words

affine, affine geometry, affine group, affined, affinitive, affinity, affinity card, affinity group, affirm, affirmance, affirmant

Origin of affinity

1275–1325; Middle English affinite < Middle French < Latin affīnitās connection by marriage. See affine, -ity

Related forms

non·af·fin·i·ty, noun, plural non·af·fin·i·ties, adjective

Can be confused

affinity infinity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for affinity

British Dictionary definitions for affinity

affinity

/ (əˈfɪnɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

Derived Forms

affinitive, adjective

Word Origin for affinity

C14: via Old French from Latin affīnitāt- connected by marriage, from affīnis bordering on, related
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

Medicine definitions for affinity

affinity

[ ə-fĭn′ĭ-tē ]

n.

An attraction or force between particles that causes them to combine.
The attraction between an antigen and an antibody.
A relationship or resemblance in structure between species that suggests a common origin.
The selective staining of a tissue by a dye.
The selective uptake of a dye, chemical, or other substance by a tissue.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for affinity

affinity

[ ə-fĭn′ĭ-tē ]

A relationship or resemblance in structure between species that suggests a common origin.
An attraction or force between particles that causes them to combine, as the attraction between an antigen and an antibody.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.