affinity

1 of 2

noun

af·​fin·​i·​ty ə-ˈfi-nə-tē 

plural affinities

1

: relationship by marriage

2

a

: sympathy marked by community of interest : kinship

She has an affinity to him because of their common musical interests.

b(1)

: an attraction to or liking for something

people with an affinity to darkness

—Mark Twain

pork and fennel have a natural affinity for each other

—Abby Mandel

(2)

: an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

c

: a person especially of the opposite sex having a particular attraction for one

3

a

: likeness based on relationship or causal connection

found an affinity between the teller of a tale and the craftsman

—Mary McCarthy

this investigation, with affinities to a case history, a psychoanalysis, a detective story

—Oliver Sacks

b

: a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin

affinity

2 of 2

adjective

chemistry : of, relating to, involving, or used in affinity chromatography

The unwanted antibodies are removed in affinity columns, which contain a matrix to which other antibodies have already been allowed to bind …

—Scientific American

Although affinity labeling was originally developed for the investigation of enzymes, it has also added significantly to the study of the structure of active sites in other systems …

—Meir Wilchek et al.

Synonyms

Noun

• affection
• aptitude
• bent
• bias
• bone
• devices
• disposition
• genius
• habitude
• impulse
• inclination
• leaning
• partiality
• penchant
• predilection
• predisposition
• proclivity
• propensity
• tendency
• turn

Choose the Right Synonym for affinity

attraction, affinity, sympathy mean the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together.

attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

Examples of affinity in a Sentence

Noun

Jefferson's personal debts continued to mount … His addiction to French wine, like his affinity for French ideas, never came to grips with the more mundane realities. —Joseph J. Ellis, American Heritage, May/June 1993

… neither virus has an affinity for T cells. —Robert C. Gallo, Scientific American, 1987

Animals sharing this basic architecture may have no closer affinity than a beetle and a squid. —Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, 1985

There's always been an affinity between us.

He never felt any affinity with the other kids in his neighborhood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sure, Trump seemed very uninterested or knowledgeable about global issues and historically had an odd affinity for Vladimir Putin, but perhaps his vaunted negotiating skills could be deployed to bring about a resolution. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025

His stories enthrall his fellow captives, and capture the attention of Hasan, the enigmatic and feared Bey of Algiers, igniting an affinity between captor and captive. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025

Wes Anderson may have been the most recognizable influence, as Wes Anderson often is, but there were deeper affinities, too, with Charlie Chaplin, Busby Berkeley, and Frank Capra. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

LeBron and him have an affinity for each other that goes back to really Luka’s first year in the league. —Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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 — more at final entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1962, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing affinity

• affinity card
• affinity chromatography
• affinity group

Kids Definition

affinity

noun

af·​fin·​i·​ty ə-ˈfin-ət-ē 

plural affinities

1

: relationship by marriage

2

a

: a feeling of closeness or sympathy because of shared interests

b

: attraction

especially : an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

Medical Definition

affinity

noun

af·​fin·​i·​ty ə-ˈfin-ət-ē 

plural affinities

1

: an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

2

: a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin

Legal Definition

affinity

noun

af·​fin·​i·​ty ə-ˈfi-nə-tē 

plural affinities

: relationship by marriage compare consanguinity