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

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

The facility is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex. —Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2025

Miami officials are moving to turn over control of one of the city’s signature cultural and architectural treasures, the historic but run-down Olympia Theater on Flagler Street downtown, to a Little Havana charter school closely affiliated with a politically influential for-profit charter operator. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025

Noun

Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. —Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

The next season, he was signed by the minor-league Montreal Royals — the Triple-A affiliate of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers. —Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2025

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

Rhymes for affiliate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate
• ameliorate

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