affinity

noun

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 Learn More About affinity

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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 Still, even though soccer is king in Deutschland, an affinity for American football has seemingly been percolating for some time. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 10 June 2021 The latest range of activewear includes sports bras, leggings, swimwear, and jackets, all inspired by Kloss’s affinity for being outdoors. — Rachel Besser, Vogue, 8 June 2021 Prosecutors said Hall spent contributions on personal expenses after soliciting donations to his non-existent political affinity organization. — Larry Neumeister, Star Tribune, 8 June 2021 Among all the pop-culture references to memento mori, the Stoic reference has possibly the most affinity to the Christian meaning of the term. — Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 6 June 2021 Scherzo, a European bred who has shown an affinity for the GGF turf course, is a mild price to consider in the field of nine. — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2021 Fox confronts the dilemma of gay self-sufficiency through Michael and Tomer’s Platonic affinity. — Armond White, National Review, 4 June 2021 That affinity for ignoring traditional beauty standards was particularly groundbreaking considering that Akech is an Australian native. — Blake Newby, Essence, 4 June 2021 His was an affinity fraud, primarily targeting people in the Jewish community. — Next Avenue, Forbes, 28 May 2021

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