affiliate

1 of 2

verb

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
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 How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
-ˌāt
: an affiliated person or organization
the network's local affiliates

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
Raba had lived in the countryside in eastern Syria, and her father may have been affiliated with isis. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Turning Point Macomb is not affiliated with Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded in 2012 that politically organizes on high school and college campuses. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024 While stealing the confidential files, Ding allegedly was secretly affiliating himself with tech companies in China. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a nonprofit research organization with which Dr. Bunge (pronounced BUN-ghee) was affiliated, announced the death. Clay Risen, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 These wider meetings also allowed for participants to collaborate across companies and territories, with the diversity of Merlin affiliated labels allowing for noncompetitive knowledge sharing. Katie Bain, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024 According to a probable cause affidavit, both men are affiliated with an East Side gang. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 Wall Street Journal Dozens of fast food restaurant franchises, including those affiliated with Taco Bell and Dairy Queen, are using AI to track their employees and analyze their work performance. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 In 2023, the group had to defend itself in an ongoing lawsuit alleging that its promotion of hydroxychloroquine led to the death of a Nevada man who had been prescribed the anti-malarial drug by a doctor affiliated with the organization. Lauren Weber, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products and services that are purchased through links on our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers. Adam Douglas Thompson, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 The Admirals have had quality talent come through Milwaukee, like Tommy Novak who recently signed a three year $10.5 million with the NHL affiliate the Nashville Predators. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 Woman Has Emotional Reunion with Hero Who Saved Her Life in 1997 Accident That Killed Her Mom Family friend Allen Gross identified the surviving victim as 2-year-old Micah Schrock, according to ABC affiliate WISN-TV. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Based in Geneva and operating as nonprofits or as UN affiliates, these bodies play a major role in setting the terms of global digital trade and competition. Aziz Huq, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2024 If a person clicks an influencer’s affiliate link and buys the replica Rick Owens sneakers on Pandabuy, the company buys them through the original Taobao listing. Louise Matsakis, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024 The state made the decision based on the hotter temperatures and desert climate in Arizona, CBS affiliate KOLD reported. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 As executive vice president for the AKG Christie’s affiliate based in Beverly Hills, Duran’s mission is opening at least seven new offices from Del Mar to Montecito over the next six months. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 The 10,000-capacity stadium plays home to the Aviators, the Triple-A affiliate of the A’s, and was once considered a potential landing spot for the A’s before their new ballpark in Vegas is ready in 2028. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'affiliate.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of affiliate was in 1767

Dictionary Entries Near affiliate

Cite this Entry

“Affiliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
affiliated; affiliating
: to connect closely often as a member, branch, or associate
affiliation noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ət How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
: an affiliated person or organization

Legal Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
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 noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ət How to pronounce affiliate (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on affiliate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!