Synonyms of affinity

affinity

noun

ə-ˈfi-nə-tē 

1

as in aptitude

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

always had an affinity for nurturing living things

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aptitude
• tendency
• inclination
• devices
• affection
• knack
• predilection
• proclivity
• predisposition
• propensity
• impulse
• disposition
• penchant
• bias
• talent
• preference
• partiality
• addiction
• bone
• bent
• genius
• gift
• appetite
• habitude
• leaning
• flair
• prejudice
• turn
• fondness
• taste
• liking
• partisanship
• endowment
• faculty
• favor
• habit
• specialty
• speciality
• idiosyncrasy
• like
• practice
• eccentricity
• one-sidedness
• custom
• peculiarity
• forte
• fancy
• pattern
• singularity
• quirk
• convention
• routine
• oddity
• way
• kink
• wont
• trick

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distaste
• aversion
• allergy
• dislike
• neutrality
• disfavor
• disinclination
• objectivity
• detachment
• indifference
• impartiality
• disliking
• averseness
• disrelish
• apathy
• nonchalance
• disinterestedness
• unconcern
• insouciance

2

as in kinship

the fact or state of having something in common

a study showing an affinity between obesity and socioeconomic status

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kinship
• relationship
• association
• connection
• correlation
• relation
• linkage
• similarity
• liaison
• bearing
• link
• resemblance
• bond
• relevance
• affiliation
• tie
• alliance
• union
• interrelation
• pertinence
• agreement
• materiality
• accordance
• correspondence
• community
• identicalness
• sameness
• likeness
• conformity
• alikeness
• congruity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• variance
• variability
• incompatibility
• incongruity
• incongruence
• incongruousness

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun affinity differ from other similar words?

The words attraction and sympathy are common synonyms of affinity. While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

When might attraction be a better fit than affinity?

While in some cases nearly identical to affinity, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

When would sympathy be a good substitute for affinity?

In some situations, the words sympathy and affinity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of affinity

His early work with the Heartbreakers had an affinity with the more cutting-edge sounds of punk and new wave; the term pop punk probably comes from the New York Times critic John Rockwell’s write-up of a Petty performance at the Bottom Line in 1977. —Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026

When Tezzus met diamond* in 2020, their affinity for music (and weed) kept them close, moving together as a unit. —Oba Awolowo, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026

His love for animals was developed through an affinity for koala bears. —Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

Americans have had an affinity for the French Riviera for more than a century. —Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026