love affair
Americannoun
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a romantic relationship or episode between lovers; an amour.
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an active enthusiasm for something.
my love affair with sailing.
noun
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a romantic or sexual relationship, esp a temporary one, between two people
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a great enthusiasm or liking for something
a love affair with ballet
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An intimate sexual relationship, as in They had a torrid love affair many years ago . This expression dates from about 1600, when it referred merely to the experiences connected with being in love. The current sense dates from the second half of the 1800s.
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A strong enthusiasm, as in We can't ignore America's love affair with the automobile . [Mid-1900s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of love affair
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
He added: "It's so wonderful to see the world's love affair with the United States of America over our 250th birthday. It's been very gratifying."
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Her love affair with The Beatles began, like so many others, on February 9, 1964, when she tuned into the group’s American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
Australia's ballad "Eclipse" evokes a love affair between planets.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Yet for as long as America’s love affair with baseball has lasted, the sport’s practitioners knew shockingly little about how the game was truly played for most of that time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
TeeTee chose Frida's love affair with Diego, no surprise there, though judging by Taylor's face, there had been some drama over that choice.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
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.
