affinity

[ uh-fin-i-tee ]
See synonyms for affinity on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural af·fin·i·ties.
  1. a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.

  2. a person, thing, idea, etc., for which such a natural liking or attraction is felt.

  1. relationship by marriage or by ties other than those of blood (distinguished from consanguinity).

  2. inherent likeness or agreement; close resemblance or connection.

  3. Biology. the phylogenetic relationship between two organisms or groups of organisms resulting in a resemblance in general plan or structure, or in the essential structural parts.

  4. Chemistry. the force by which atoms are held together in chemical compounds.

adjective
  1. of or relating to persons who share the same interests: to arrange charter flights for opera lovers and other affinity groups.

Origin of affinity

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English affinite, from Middle French, from Latin affīnitās “connection by marriage”; equivalent to affine + -ity

Other words for affinity

Opposites for affinity

Other words from affinity

  • non·af·fin·i·ty, noun, plural non·af·fin·i·ties, adjective

Words that may be confused with affinity

Words Nearby affinity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use affinity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for affinity

affinity

/ (əˈfɪnɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. (foll by with or for) a natural liking, taste, or inclination towards a person or thing

  2. the person or thing so liked

  1. a close similarity in appearance or quality; inherent likeness

  2. relationship by marriage or by ties other than of blood, as by adoption: Compare consanguinity

  3. similarity in structure, form, etc, between different animals, plants, or languages

  4. chem

    • the tendency for two substances to combine; chemical attraction

    • a measure of the tendency of a chemical reaction to take place expressed in terms of the free energy change: Symbol: A

  5. biology a measure of the degree of interaction between two molecules, such as an antigen and antibody or a hormone and its receptor

Origin of affinity

1
C14: via Old French from Latin affīnitāt- connected by marriage, from affīnis bordering on, related

Derived forms of affinity

  • affinitive, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for affinity

affinity

[ ə-fĭnĭ-tē ]


  1. A relationship or resemblance in structure between species that suggests a common origin.

  2. An attraction or force between particles that causes them to combine, as the attraction between an antigen and an antibody.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.