affair

noun

af·​fair ə-ˈfer How to pronounce affair (audio)
1
a
affairs plural : commercial, professional, public, or personal business
handles the company's public affairs
an expert in foreign affairs
b
: matter, concern
How I choose to live is my affair, not yours.
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
or less commonly affaire
a
: a romantic or passionate attachment typically of limited duration : liaison sense 2b
had an affair with a coworker
b
: a matter occasioning public anxiety, controversy, or scandal : case
the Watergate affair of the early 1970s

Examples of affair in a Sentence

After the war, the government focused on its own domestic affairs. They accused the U.S. of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. How I choose to live is my affair, not yours. adulterous affairs between married men and single women
Recent Examples on the Web Streaming With the Stars was an intimate affair for nearly 200 guests that was hosted by Rob Lowe. Elizabeth Taylor, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Comment: The Bears won a close game at home in the middle of the season; the Cardinal won a lopsided affair at home last week. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Legal affairs reporter Kevin Rector reports on the odyssey of the painting — an urban scene created by Impressionist Camille Pissarro. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Lady Gaga, House of Gucci (2021) Director Ridley Scott’s film about how the Gucci family lost control of their fashion empire is a dismal affair, inert to the point of supinity and poorly acted by the likes of Al Pacino and Jared Leto. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Ryan O’Gara, government affairs managerat SKB, said the company is expecting a future where new regulations would force the waste industry to reckon with the PFAS that are flowing through it. Chloe Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 State of the Union addresses have historically been shorter affairs. Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Jones had a career-high 43 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals in a 130-102 victory over the Mexico City Capitanes in a matinee affair early Thursday afternoon at Golden 1 Center. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 The eat-in kitchen, on the other hand is a surprisingly simple, all-stainless-steel affair that opens off the dressing room. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'affair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere — more at at entry 1, do entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of affair was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near affair

Cite this Entry

“Affair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affair. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

affair

noun
af·​fair ə-ˈfa(ə)r How to pronounce affair (audio)
-ˈfe(ə)r
1
a
plural : commercial, professional, public, or personal business
government affairs
arranged my affairs before leaving
b
: concern entry 2 sense 1, matter
not your affair at all
2
a
: event sense 1b, activity
a social affair
b
: product sense 2, thing
the house was a two-story affair
3
: a brief romantic relationship

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