affiliate

1 of 2

verb

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt 

affiliated; affiliating

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring or receive into close connection as a member or branch

The medical school is affiliated with a hospital.

b

: to associate as a member

affiliates herself with the local club

2

: to trace the origin of

affiliated Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to earlier plays

intransitive verb

: to connect or associate oneself : combine

refused to affiliate with any political party

affiliate

2 of 2

noun

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ət 

-ˌāt

: an affiliated person or organization

the network's local affiliates

Synonyms of affiliate

Noun

• chapter
• cell

Examples of affiliate in a Sentence

Verb

Their group does not affiliate itself with any political party.

Noun

Two of the company's regional affiliates lost money in the past year.

our local Humane Society is an affiliate of a national organization

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, a fight that has escalated over the past decade. —CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and Islamic State. —Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Noun

The Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, allowed two goals in the first period and never fully recovered in a 5-1 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday, as San Jose was swept in the best-of-three first-round series two games to none at Lee’s Family Forum. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026

Take control of your money with CNBC Select CNBC Select is editorially independent and may earn a commission from affiliate partners on links. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from French affilier "to bring into close connection" (going back to Middle French, "to adopt as a son," borrowed from Medieval Latin affīliāre, from Latin ad- ad- + -fīliāre, verbal derivative of fīlius "son") + -ate entry 4 — more at feminine entry 1

Noun

derivative of affiliate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1767, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1793, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing affiliate

• affiliate marketing

Rhymes for affiliate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ˌāt 

affiliated; affiliating

: to connect closely often as a member, branch, or associate

affiliation

-ˌfil-ē-ˈā-shən 

noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ət 

: an affiliated person or organization

Legal Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt 

affiliated; affiliating

transitive verb

1

: to bring or receive into close association as a member or division

2

: to join or associate as a member or division

intransitive verb

: to connect or associate oneself

—usually used with with

has just affiliated with the huge corporation

affiliation

ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən 

noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ət 

: an affiliated person or organization

specifically : a business entity effectively controlling or controlled by another or associated with others under common ownership or control compare parent sense 2, subsidiary