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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The five commissioners are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, but no more than three commissioners can be affiliated with the same party. Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 1 May 2025 What To Know The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported at least 30 people were killed in clashes between Druze gunmen and forces affiliated with Syria's government in towns across Rif Dimashq province. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Noun
On Saturday night, while walking towards the stage, Abril, an Argentine tourist, told CNN affiliate CNN Brazil about the big moment. Christopher Ulloa, CNN Money, 4 May 2025 UConn’s Anthony Prato (two homers in 38 at bats) and Patrick Winkel (two homers in first 16 at-bats) homered back-to-back for the Twins’ St. Paul affiliate this week. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for affiliate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affiliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliate. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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
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