affinity

noun

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af·fin·i·ty | \ ə-ˈfi-nə-tē

plural affinities

Definition of affinity

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : relationship by marriage

2a : sympathy marked by community of interest : kinship She has an affinity to him because of their common musical interests.

b(1) : an attraction to or liking for something people with an affinity to darkness— Mark Twain pork and fennel have a natural affinity for each other— Abby Mandel

(2) : an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

c : a person especially of the opposite sex having a particular attraction for one

3a : likeness based on relationship or causal connection found an affinity between the teller of a tale and the craftsman— Mary McCarthy this investigation, with affinities to a case history, a psychoanalysis, a detective story— Oliver Sacks

b : a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin

affinity

adjective

Definition of affinity (Entry 2 of 2)

chemistry : of, relating to, involving, or used in affinity chromatography The unwanted antibodies are removed in affinity columns, which contain a matrix to which other antibodies have already been allowed to bind … — Scientific American Although affinity labeling was originally developed for the investigation of enzymes, it has also added significantly to the study of the structure of active sites in other systems …— Meir Wilchek et al.

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing affinity Learn More About affinity

Choose the Right Synonym for affinity

Noun

attraction, affinity, sympathy mean the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together. attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it. felt an attraction to danger affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn. an affinity for mathematics sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence. two minds in sympathy

Examples of affinity in a Sentence

Noun Jefferson's personal debts continued to mount … His addiction to French wine, like his affinity for French ideas, never came to grips with the more mundane realities. — Joseph J. Ellis, American Heritage, May/June 1993 … neither virus has an affinity for T cells. — Robert C. Gallo, Scientific American, 1987 Animals sharing this basic architecture may have no closer affinity than a beetle and a squid. — Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, 1985 There's always been an affinity between us. He never felt any affinity with the other kids in his neighborhood.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Managing the needs of all affinity groups in a large enterprise can be a challenge for communicators. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 Creating an inclusive workplace Around four in five respondents said their workplaces have introduced LGBT+ inclusive actions, like forming affinity groups and launching LGBT+ external recruitment. — Jane Thier, Fortune, 20 June 2022 So Saint-Louis helped secure funding to create affinity groups for Black, Latinx, Asian and white educators to foster a sense of belonging and engage in these difficult conversations. — Sanya Mansoor, Time, 8 June 2022 Some use employee affinity groups to help flag potentially troublesome issues. — Emily Glazer, WSJ, 1 May 2022 Anthony and Joe Russo recently commented on their affinity for the story in the comics, teasing that movies based on it would be even bigger than Infinity War and Endgame. — Chris Smith, BGR, 19 July 2022 Neither Garstang nor Krebs were the most skilled hunters or the best at trapping critters—my affinity for each was rooted in their mutual imperfections. — Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 15 July 2022 Molly Sims, Padma Lakshmi, and Lili Reinhart have all shared their affinity for the brand. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, PEOPLE.com, 13 July 2022 His affinity for golf was blamed for everything from injuries to disappointing performances. — Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affinity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for affinity

Noun

Middle English affinite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French affinité, borrowed from Latin affīnitāt-, affīnitās, from affīnis "bordering (on), related by marriage, connected (with)" (from ad- ad- + fīnis "boundary, limit") + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at final entry 1