Main Entry: af·fin·i·ty

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈfi-nə-tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural af·fin·i·ties

Etymology: Middle English affinite, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French affinité, from Latin affinitas, from affinis bordering on, related by marriage, from ad- + finis end, border

Date: 14th century

1 : relationship by marriage
2 a : sympathy marked by community of interest : kinship b (1) : an attraction to or liking for something <people with an affinity to darkness — Mark Twain> <pork and fennel have a natural affinity for each other — Abby Mandel> (2) : an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination c : a person especially of the opposite sex having a particular attraction for one
3 a : likeness based on relationship or causal connection <found an affinity between the teller of a tale and the craftsman — Mary McCarthy> <this investigation, with affinities to a case history, a psychoanalysis, a detective story — Oliver Sacks> b : a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin

synonyms see attraction