as in tendencies
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
always had an affinity for nurturing living things
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Recent Examples of affinities
While tons of beauty professionals have ties, affinities, and contractual obligations with designer brands, many swear by drugstore or equally accessible products to get their clients star-worthy outcomes.
—
Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 11 May 2026
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
Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 11 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affinities
Noun
-
But over time, these tendencies have taken their toll.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
The movie only hints at the underlying social tendencies that a populist exploits.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The ability to create offense individually, put pressure on the rim and set up stationary shooters — as much as such violates Kerr’s inclinations — have become necessary to beat good modern defenses.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
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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
Noun
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For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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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
Noun
-
The atmosphere in the house is always quiet, neat and calm — even when the housemates are upset that their crush’s affections are unreturned.—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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And then there is Gomes, one of very few Wolves players to have retained the affections of supporters during a depressing decline for the club.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affinities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affinities. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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