affair

af·fair

noun \ə-ˈfer\

Definition of AFFAIR

1

a plural : commercial, professional, public, or personal business b : matter, concern

2

: a procedure, action, or occasion only vaguely specified; also : an object or collection of objects only vaguely specified <their house was a 2-story affair>

3

also af·faire a : a romantic or passionate attachment typically of limited duration : liaison 2b b : a matter occasioning public anxiety, controversy, or scandal : case

Examples of AFFAIR

1. After the war, the government focused on its own domestic affairs.
2. They accused the U.S. of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations.
3. How I choose to live is my affair, not yours.
4. adulterous affairs between married men and single women

Origin of AFFAIR

Middle English afere, from Anglo-French afaire, from a faire to do

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to AFFAIR

Synonyms: amour, fling, love, love affair, romance

Related Words: intrigue, liaison; dalliance, hanky-panky; attachment, infatuation; entanglement, flirtation; idyll (also idyl), passion; calf-love, puppy love

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Rhymes with AFFAIR

aglare, airfare, Ajmer, Altair, antbear, armchair, au pair, aware, bakeware, barware, Basseterre, Baudelaire, beachwear, bergère, beware, bid fair, big hair, black bear, bricklayer, broodmare, brown bear, bugbear, caneware, carfare, Carrère, cave bear, chi-square, clayware, club chair, compare, compere, confrere, cookware, corsair, courseware, creamware, crosshair, cudbear, daymare, dead air, decare, deck chair, declare, delftware, despair, dishware, éclair, elsewhere, ensnare, eyewear, fanfare, fieldfare, firmware, flatware, Flaubert, footwear, forbear, forebear, forswear, foursquare, freeware, funfair, galère, giftware, glassware, Great Bear, groupware, Gruyère, guard hair, hardware, health care, hectare, high chair, horsehair, hot air, impair, infare, Khmer, Kildare, knitwear, life-care, light air, longhair, loungewear, Mayfair, menswear, meunière, midair, mohair, Molière, neckwear, nightmare, no fair, outstare, out-there, outwear, playwear, plein air, plowshare, Poor Clare, Port Blair, portiere, premiere, prepare, pushchair, rainwear, redware, repair, root hair, Sancerre, sea hare, shank's mare, shareware, shorthair, side chair, Sinclair, skiwear, sleepwear, slipware, sloth bear, software, somewhere, spongeware, sportswear, stemware, stoneware, sun bear, swimwear, threadbare, tinware, torchère, trouvère, tuyere, unfair, unhair, unswear, Voltaire, warfare, welfare, wheelchair, wirehair, workfare