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 Double-big lineup shaky early on A major part of the intrigue surrounding Şengün’s potential development this season is Houston’s affinity for using him in double-big lineups next to Steven Adams or Capela. William Guillory, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 Of course, Matthieu brings his own set of creative affinities, which are new and incredibly enriching, but not at the expense of existing relationships. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025 As a violinist, Cristi spent several years as a member of the Miami and Houston symphony orchestras and seems to have a special affinity for those musicians seated in front of him. David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025 Farmers has occupational and affinity discounts for teachers, firefighters, police officers and others. Liz Knueven, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affinity
Noun
  • Mount’s defensive aptitude proved important in keeping United compact throughout, regularly dropping into vacant spaces to slow down any nascent attacks.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Her aptitude was unavoidable at the Fendi show, where top models holding desirable handbags, styled with joyful knits, eye-catching dresses and sporty separates, strutted past guests, including actors Hilary Duff, Naomi Watts and Bang Chan of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With back-to-back fights with Baragon and a gigantic octopus (who arrives with no explanation), Frankenstein’s kinship with King Kong – a simplistic empathy and wrestler-like physical prowess – has never felt clearer.
    Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Impressing after a miserable spell in the Premier League, the Brazilian winger may well find kinship on the opposing flank Saturday.
    Jack Bantock, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Selling a put under those conditions, with roughly 60 days to expiration, positions the seller to capture elevated option premium while capturing the tendency for prices to revert toward the mean.
    Michael Khouw, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
  • However, the former collegiate volleyball player says her husband, Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson, doesn't share her cautionary tendencies.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Elsewhere in the podcast, Shallow discusses her penchant for using femininity and flirtation as reality TV weapons, and how that nickname cast a shadow on her real-life relationships.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Muriel’s From American Horror Story to Disney’s Princess and the Frog, New Orleans’s relationship with the otherworldly has been well documented on film and television.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The cosmos is asking us to define our aspirations and inclinations.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 20 Oct. 2025
  • On command, the Arc would detach from the service module and reenter the atmosphere at Mach 20+ with a high sustained g-load to arrive at any location within its orbital inclination zone.
    David Szondy October 13, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • It is not accredited by any major zoo or sanctuary associations, which is voluntary and comes with stricter welfare and conservation standards.
    Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The association hosted its annual media day on Thursday afternoon, where executive director Bob Baldwin and Jim Clark, assistant director of communications, spoke about the state of the association and changes that will be coming for student athletes, coaches and fans in the upcoming seasons.
    Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Turns out it’s finished ahead of schedule and already shipping the servers, which will support Apple Intelligence services on consumer devices like iPhones, according to a new Fox Business report.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
  • That means more than one of every eight of Kroger's 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.
    Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If, as Lloyd Matthews has argued, America’s founding ideals of liberty are intimately linked to Julius Caesar, that connection should remind us that such liberty requires due process to function properly.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Shannon was working the former Hinas and Alex hard — trying to make individual connections with each of them.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affinity. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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