as in tendencies
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
always had an affinity for nurturing living things
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of affinities
Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.
—
Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Today, costly and time-consuming coachbuilding acts as a mirror for the owner’s personal style and affinities, all the while displaying the status of having formed such a close connection with a brand that you’re invited to commission something singular.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The concrete structure’s open layout encourages meandering discovery, with works chosen to reveal new affinities and connections across cultures and centuries.
—Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Szabo’s affinities are hardly a secret.
—Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 1 Apr. 2026
The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
The left-handed hitting right fielder known for his colorful personality and affinities for wrestling and Spider-Man totaled parts of 13 seasons in the majors with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, Astros and Diamondbacks, playing his last game in 2021 and officially retiring in 2023.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026
The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.
—Petala Ironcloud, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
China’s global influence is further constrained by weak cultural affinities with other countries.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Today, costly and time-consuming coachbuilding acts as a mirror for the owner’s personal style and affinities, all the while displaying the status of having formed such a close connection with a brand that you’re invited to commission something singular.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
The concrete structure’s open layout encourages meandering discovery, with works chosen to reveal new affinities and connections across cultures and centuries.
—Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Szabo’s affinities are hardly a secret.
—Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 1 Apr. 2026
The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
The left-handed hitting right fielder known for his colorful personality and affinities for wrestling and Spider-Man totaled parts of 13 seasons in the majors with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, Astros and Diamondbacks, playing his last game in 2021 and officially retiring in 2023.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026
The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.
—Petala Ironcloud, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
China’s global influence is further constrained by weak cultural affinities with other countries.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affinities
Noun
-
Rácz has been interpreted as a foil to Vladimír Mečiar, a real-life politician who served as Slovakia’s prime minister between 1990 and 1998 and was heavily criticized for his autocratic tendencies, strongman persona, and ties to organized crime.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
That’s because his job is to understand the thought processes, emotions, and affections of Japanese and Americans alike.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Alienation of affections was largely recognized in the 1800s as a tort for when a female spouse was whisked away from her husband by a third party.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affinities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affinities. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
