Affair — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ə-ˈfer/ af·fair

Meaning & Definition of Affair

Affair (noun)

  1. commercial, professional, public, or personal business
  2. matter, concern
  3. a procedure, action, or occasion only vaguely specified; also, an object or collection of objects only vaguely specified

Affair (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a brief romantic relationship

    "an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort"

    similar: amour, fling, love, love affair, romance
    related: intrigue, liaison, dalliance, hanky-panky, attachment, infatuation, entanglement, flirtation, idyll, passion, calf-love, puppy love

  2. a social gathering

    "the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair"

    similar: bash, binge, blast, blowout, do, event, fete, function, get-together, party, reception, shindig
    related: benefit, fund-raiser, ball, dance, formal, prom, celebration, gala, occasion, bacchanal, bacchanalia, orgy, saturnalia, bake, clambake, cocktail party, hen party, house party, housewarming, icebreaker, kaffeeklatsch, kegger, klatch, masquerade, meet and greet, mixer, salon, shower, social, soiree, stag, supper, symposium, tea, tea party

  3. something produced by physical or intellectual effort

    "the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings"

    similar: fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production, thing, work, yield
    related: article, commodity, entry, object, goods, line, merchandise, wares, handcraft, handicraft, aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, corollary, development, effect, issue, outcome, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot, by-product, derivative, offshoot, offspring, outgrowth, residual, side effect, spin-off

  4. something that happens

    "the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes"

    similar: circumstance, episode, event, hap, happening, incident, occasion, occurrence, thing
    related: coincidence, co-occurrence, fluke, freak, landmark, milepost, milestone, page, phenomenon, turning point, adventure, experience, time, happenchance, happenstance, accident, crisis, emergency, juncture, achievement, deed, exploit, feat, news, tidings

  5. something to be dealt with

    "it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight"

    similar: business, matter, thing, ball of wax
    related: consideration, issue, problem, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, flash point, head, juncture, strait, zero hour, concern, trouble, worry, care, lookout, responsibility, deadlock, halt, impasse, stalemate, standstill, corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, pickle, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot

Related Entry: Love affair (noun)

Love affair is a different word from Affair. The synonyms below are for love affair, not for affair.

  1. a brief romantic relationship

    "the tabloids feel obliged to keep us informed of the love affairs of celebrities, whether we care to know or not"

    similar: affair, amour, fling, love, romance
    related: intrigue, liaison, dalliance, hanky-panky, attachment, infatuation, entanglement, flirtation, idyll, passion, calf-love, puppy love

  2. positive regard for something

    "a group of young men united by their love affair with the muscle car"

    similar: appetite, fancy, favor, fondness, like, liking, love, partiality, preference, relish, shine, taste, use
    related: craving, desire, hankering, longing, thirst, yen, enthusiasm, gusto, interest, passion, bias, prejudice, bent, inclination, leaning, propensity, tendency, tooth, palate, weakness
    opposite: aversion, disfavor, disgust, dislike, distaste, hatred, loathing, mislike
    near: apathy, disinclination, indifference, unconcern

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Affair

The most common words with a similar meaning to Affair:

amour, fling, love, love affair, romance, bash, binge, blast, blowout, do, event, fete, function, get-together, party, reception, shindig, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production, thing, work, yield, circumstance, episode, hap, happening, incident, occasion, occurrence, business, matter, ball of wax

Related Words for Affair

intrigue, liaison, dalliance, hanky-panky, attachment, infatuation, entanglement, flirtation, idyll, passion, calf-love, puppy love, benefit, fund-raiser, ball, dance, formal, prom, celebration, gala, bacchanal, bacchanalia, orgy, saturnalia, bake, clambake, cocktail party, hen party, house party, housewarming

Origin & Etymology of Affair

Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere at:1, do:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Affair

Words & Phrases Containing Affair

love affair, none of someone's affair/business

Frequently Asked Questions about Affair

What does "Affair" mean?

"Affair" means commercial, professional, public, or personal business. As a noun, it is defined as: commercial, professional, public, or personal business. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Affair"?

Other words for "Affair" include amour, fling, love, love affair, romance, bash, binge and blast. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Affair" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Affair"?

There are 170 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Affair". Common alternatives include amour, fling, love, love affair, romance, bash, binge, blast, blowout and do.

How do you use "Affair" in a sentence?

Examples of "Affair" in a sentence: "an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort"; "the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair"; "the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings".

Is "Affair" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Affair" is a noun.

Is "Affair" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Affair" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Affair"?

"Affair" is pronounced /ə-ˈfer/ and divided into syllables as af·fair.

What is the origin of the word "Affair"?

"Affair" comes from Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere at:1, do:1. First known use: 14th century.