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

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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

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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 result, she says, is a deep inherited mistrust: Mizrahim don’t hate Arabs, and even feel cultural affinity with them, but they will not trust a Muslim majority to guarantee their safety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

But beyond the exclusive entrée, Coppola — only on her third feature, but already known for her affinity for youth culture — would bring Marie Antoinette a jouissance the history books had never afforded her.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

The two Muslim countries share a close relationship due to their religious affinity and strong economic ties.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Carrey had spoken about his affinity for solitude even earlier.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

“Their beasts, however, found no such affinity for each other.”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Sitting nearby and absorbed in a book is James Schuyler, a poet of the New York School with whom Porter shared intellectual and romantic affinities, and who lived with the Porters for an extended period.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 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

One of the greatest plays of our time, Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia,” confronts Goethe’s “Elective Affinities” with our own elective affinities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

Animated by this belief, I paid particular attention to their policy statement and activities, with the idea of finding affinities rather than differences.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

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

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