affray

1 of 2

noun

af·​fray ə-ˈfrā 

1

archaic : fray, brawl

2

chiefly British : a fight in a public place that disturbs the peace

affray

2 of 2

verb

affrayed; affraying; affrays

transitive verb

archaic

: startle, frighten

Synonyms

Noun

• brawl
• broil
• donnybrook
• fracas
• fray
• free-for-all
• melee
• mêlée
• rough-and-tumble
• row
• ruckus
• ruction

Examples of affray in a Sentence

Noun

the police had to break up an affray that started between fans of the opposing teams

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The first front page of the Times carried news of an affray in Pennsylvania a week earlier. —Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

That same year, he was convicted of affray for participating in a brawl that led to one fatality. —Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 24 Mar. 2025

Charges include minor in possession of alcohol, destruction of property, drinking in public, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, affray and disorderly, and assault and battery on police officers, Boyle said. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025

The two men were arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of an emergency worker, affray (fighting in public), and obstructing police. —Reuters, NBC News, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English afray, affray "fright, consternation, assault, brawl," borrowed from Anglo-French effrei, esfrei, affrai, noun derivative of esfreier, effreier, affraier "to frighten, startle" — more at affray entry 2

Verb

Middle English afraien, affraien "to disturb, frighten, attack, brawl," borrowed from Anglo-French esfreier, effreier, (with prefix alternation) affreer, affraier "to frighten, startle," going back to Gallo-Romance *exfridāre, from Latin ex- ex- entry 1 + Gallo-Romance *-fridāre, derivative from Old Low Franconian *friðu "peace, tranquility," going back to Germanic *friþu- (whence Old English friþ "peace, security, protection," Old Saxon friđu, Old High German fridu, Old Norse friðr), derivative, with the suffix *-tu-, of *fri(j)a- free entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

affray

noun

af·​fray

ə-ˈfrā

: a noisy quarrel or fight

Legal Definition

affray

noun

af·​fray ə-ˈfrā 

: a fight between two or more people in a public place that disturbs the peace

Etymology

Noun

Middle French affrai, effrai fright, disturbance, from affraier, effreer to terrify