affair

noun

af·fair | \ ə-ˈfer

Definition of affair

1a 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about affair

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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

His presence in Britain, on a state visit, has been the usual low-key affair; according to some reports, his entourage numbers no more than a thousand. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "Donald Trump’s Royal Treatment," 4 June 2019 Things feel different now, even in the few months since Lightfoot took over, and even with the tragicomic scandal of the Jussie Smollett affair. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'16 Shots' documentary review: On Chicago's mean streets, who controls the narrative?," 3 June 2019 If this year’s gala is more glamorous than in the past, that’s thanks to Giambattista Valli and H&M, who are announcing their collaboration at the black tie affair tonight. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, "Giambattista Valli is H&M’s New Designer Collaborator—And His Limited Edition Dresses Are Dropping This Saturday," 23 May 2019 Princess Michael's wedding was held on June 30, 1978, and the Princess, who is also known as Marie Christine, wore the tiara to a ball that was held after her wedding ceremony, rather than to the entire affair. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Everything We Know About Lady Gabriella Windsor's Royal Wedding Tiara," 18 May 2019 While the bride and groom didn't reveal too many more details about the wedding, Rodriguez did thank the team who helped organize the affair. — Neha Prakash, Glamour, "Gina Rodriguez Wore Not One, But Two Gorgeous Wedding Dresses," 6 May 2019 Without intending to, the Mueller report has solved the mystery of the Trump-Russia affair. — David Satter, WSJ, "Collusion or Russian Disinformation?," 30 Apr. 2019 That old truism from the Watergate affair also applies to the scandals plaguing some of the world’s biggest tech companies, says NYU professor Scott Galloway. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "When big companies are hacked, should they have to disclose it immediately?," 13 Oct. 2018 Such a state of affairs lends itself to lines of thinking that are at once conspiratorial and completely rational. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Domino's Pizza-Spotting App Is a Window Into a Future of Justified Paranoia," 20 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for affair

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