affair

noun

af·​fair ə-ˈfer 

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

Synonyms

• amour
• fling
• love
• love affair
• romance

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

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024

How a Goodyear mother-daughter duo's innovative swimwear earned them a 'Shark Tank' deal Liana Garcia, director of government affairs for the Arizona Supreme Court, said the judicial branch did not take an official stance on the bill. —Hannah Dreyfus, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024

Big eaters favor a certain informality in affairs of state. —Benjamin Nugent, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2024

Number of jurors chosen: 7 Trump has repeatedly denied an affair with Daniels. —USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

But after examining Arizona’s financial affairs, the Hotline wondered what all the fuss was about. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Along with his impact in public affairs, Christensen left a legacy of enduring friendships in newsrooms around the country. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Donald had reportedly flown Maples to Aspen and according to Maples, Ivana had become aware of the affair. —Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

William Kullman, a former deputy chief of international affairs at ATF, visited Haiti before the devastating 2010 earthquake. —Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing affair

• love affair
• none of someone's affair/business

Kids Definition

affair

noun

af·​fair ə-ˈfa(ə)r 

-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