Affinity — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ə-ˈfi-nə-tē/ af·fin·i·ty

Meaning & Definition of Affinity

Affinity (noun)

  1. sympathy marked by community of interest, kinship
  2. an attraction to or liking for something
  3. an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

Affinity (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, involving, or used in affinity chromatography

Affinity (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

    "always had an affinity for nurturing living things"

    similar: affection, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn
    related: favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, knack, talent, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity
    near: allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

  2. the fact or state of having something in common

    "a study showing an affinity between obesity and socioeconomic status"

    similar: association, bearing, connection, kinship, liaison, linkage, relation, relationship
    related: correlation, interrelation, materiality, pertinence, relevance, bond, link, tie, affiliation, alliance, union, identicalness, sameness, alikeness, community, likeness, resemblance, similarity, accordance, agreement, conformity, congruity, correspondence
    near: variability, variance, incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Affinity

The most common words with a similar meaning to Affinity:

affection, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, association, bearing, connection, kinship, liaison, linkage, relation, relationship

Related Words for Affinity

favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, knack, talent, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont

Near Antonyms of Affinity

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, variability, variance, incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness

Word Forms of Affinity

Inflections: affinities

Origin & Etymology of Affinity

Middle English affinite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French affinité, borrowed from Latin affīnitāt-, affīnitās, from affīnis "bordering (on), related by marriage, connected (with)" (from ad- ad- + fīnis "boundary, limit") + -itāt-, -itās -ity final:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Affinity

Words & Phrases Containing Affinity

affinity card, affinity chromatography, affinity group

Frequently Asked Questions about Affinity

What does "Affinity" mean?

"Affinity" means sympathy marked by community of interest, kinship. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: sympathy marked by community of interest, kinship. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Affinity"?

Other words for "Affinity" include affection, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition and genius. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Affinity" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Affinity"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Affinity". Common alternatives include affection, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude and impulse.

How do you use "Affinity" in a sentence?

Examples of "Affinity" in a sentence: "always had an affinity for nurturing living things"; "a study showing an affinity between obesity and socioeconomic status".

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

"Affinity" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

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

As a C2-level word, "Affinity" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Affinity"?

"Affinity" is pronounced /ə-ˈfi-nə-tē/ and divided into syllables as af·fin·i·ty.

What is the origin of the word "Affinity"?

"Affinity" comes from Middle English affinite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French affinité, borrowed from Latin affīnitāt-, affīnitās, from affīnis "bordering (on), related by marriage, connected (with)" (from ad- ad- + fīnis "boundary, limit") + -itāt-, -itās -ity final:1. First known use: 14th century.