affiliation

noun

af·​fil·​i·​a·​tion ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce affiliation (audio)
plural affiliations
: the state or relation of being closely associated or affiliated with a particular person, group, party, company, etc.
The radio station has maintained a longtime affiliation with the concert hall and often has featured performers as guests on the air.
A former Democrat, Joseph McCarthy had switched his affiliation and was elected in the Republican landslide of 1946 …Ted Widmer
… hundreds of businessmen owe their success to an affiliation with organized crime.William Bastone

Examples of affiliation in a Sentence

the Little League team, despite its name, the Northern Dynamites, has no affiliation with the Northern Dynamite Company
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her charitable and humanitarian affiliations also include the United Nations World Food Programme, Baby2Baby, Operation Smile, and numerous other organizations. Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 Zhixin Wang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Zhixin Wang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025 In California’s nonpartisan system, the top two candidates move on from the primary to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Julia Manchester, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025 To puzzle that out, Douglass looked for clues of social identity and affiliation among ancient artifacts. Ari Daniel, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affiliation

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affiliation was in 1791

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Cite this Entry

“Affiliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliation. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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