Definition of affinitynext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun affinity differ from other similar words?

The words attraction and sympathy are common synonyms of affinity. While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

When might attraction be a better fit than affinity?

While in some cases nearly identical to affinity, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

When would sympathy be a good substitute for affinity?

In some situations, the words sympathy and affinity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

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 affinity Vergara's affinity for the bustier top is well documented. Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026 Elsewhere up the middle of the field, Harbaugh has stressed his affinity for Jaxson Dart at quarterback and Dexter Lawrence at defensive tackle. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026 The president is known for his affinity for fast food, particularly McDonald’s. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026 The results confirmed that the ancient goats shared their strongest genetic affinity with the Old Irish Goat. Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for affinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affinity
Noun
  • What Godoy does have a great aptitude for, however, is video games.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • But the biggest piece of that, beyond the ownership’s aptitude to do it, is the stadium project.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Some recruited others through kinship networks.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
  • That feeling of marking an end of an era resonated with the actors individually, too; Sophie Skelton acknowledged her deep kinship with her character, Brianna Randall Fraser.
    Carly Witteman, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Kahn studies automation bias, the tendency of human operators to overdelegate to machines.
    Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Tactics are often cyclical and repeated over time, but the current tendency is very much towards the former.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Advice columnist Carolyn Hax takes your comments and questions most Fridays about life, family, relationships and more.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
  • One 2021 review published in The American Journal of Medicine looked into the relationship between mushroom consumption and cardiovascular health.
    Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The younger Khamenei is close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the regime’s decision to elevate him to the top spot is seen as evidence hard-liners are in charge with little inclination to reach a deal that ends the war.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.
    Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The homeowners association fee just went up to $686 a month, straining her budget, and the value of her unit has plummeted.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • New Jersey this year passed a law requiring licenses, registration and insurance for the devices following an uptick in e-bike deaths.
    Alissa Gary, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
  • When terror suspects’ names appear in headlines — particularly when fireworks or homemade devices are mentioned — Weimer said the response inside Phantom Fireworks is almost automatic.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has won three consecutive elections to stay in power since 2016, is at the forefront of efforts to accelerate the severance of its nation’s Chinese connection.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
  • This connection could be personal or professional.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Affinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affinity. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

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