affiliation

noun

af·​fil·​i·​a·​tion ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən 

plural affiliations

: the state or relation of being closely associated or affiliated with a particular person, group, party, company, etc.

The radio station has maintained a longtime affiliation with the concert hall and often has featured performers as guests on the air.

A former Democrat, Joseph McCarthy had switched his affiliation and was elected in the Republican landslide of 1946 …

—Ted Widmer

… hundreds of businessmen owe their success to an affiliation with organized crime.

—William Bastone

Synonyms

• alliance
• association
• collaboration
• confederation
• connection
• cooperation
• hookup
• liaison
• linkup
• partnership
• relation
• relationship
• tie-up
• union

Examples of affiliation in a Sentence

the Little League team, despite its name, the Northern Dynamites, has no affiliation with the Northern Dynamite Company

Recent Examples on the Web

Amid the growing concern by leaders across political affiliations regarding declining U.S. birth rates and The Baby Bust, the challenge of determining what to do about it remains. —John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Shasta County’s new elections chief is less than a week into the job and already facing scrutiny for his past job experience, beliefs about election interference and evolving political affiliation. —Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2025

Harry comes to Kat for a favor as Richie, at the Sinful Monkey, contemplates a new affiliation. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025

Pegg previously told The Guardian in 2023 that whichever project Wright and him work on next, there will be no affiliation with their past films. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for affiliation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration