affinity — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A natural attraction or feeling of kinship to a person or thing.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   kindred

2. A family relationship through marriage of a relative (e.g. sister-in-law), as opposed to consanguinity (e.g. sister).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. A kinsman or kinswoman of a such relationship; one who is affinal.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

4. The fact of and manner in which something is related to another.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   There are, of course, certain differences of detail; for example, the placing of the safety valves on the boiler barrel behind the dome, which follows the practice in the Riddles 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 locomotives for the Ministry of Supply; but taken all in all, Britannia's boiler has a closer affinity with the Doncaster designs than with any other.

   A “signature” was placed on all things by God to indicate their affinities — but it was hidden, hence the search for arcane knowledge. Knowing was guessing and interpreting, not observing or demonstrating.

5. Any romantic relationship.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

6. A love interest; a paramour.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   "Cut it short, sis, cut it short," he would growl at her if she started to murmur sweet "coo-coos" to her affinity stationed on the other end of the wire.

7. Any passionate love for something.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

8. Resemblances between biological populations, suggesting that they have a common origin, type or stock.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

9. Structural resemblances between minerals; resemblances that suggest that they are of a common origin or type.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

10. An attractive force between atoms, or groups of atoms, that contributes towards their forming bonds.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Uncountable

11. The attraction between an antibody and an antigen

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Uncountable

12. A tendency to keep a task running on the same processor in a symmetric multiprocessing operating system to reduce the frequency of cache misses.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Uncountable

13. An automorphism of affine space.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Uncountable

Noun

1. (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody

   Broader terms

   attractionattractive force

2. (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship

   Antonyms

   consanguinity

   Broader terms

   kinshipfamily relationshiprelationship

3. (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts

   Synonyms

   phylogenetic relation

   Broader terms

   kinshipfamily relationshiprelationship

   Examples

   in anatomical structure prehistoric man shows close affinity with modern humans

4. a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character

   Synonyms

   kinship

   Broader terms

   relation

   Examples

   found a natural affinity with the immigrants

   felt a deep kinship with the other students

   More examples (1)

   anthropology's kinship with the humanities

5. the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule

   Synonyms

   chemical attraction

   Broader terms

   force

   Examples

   basic dyes have an affinity for wool and silk

6. inherent resemblance between persons or things

   Broader terms

   resemblance

7. a natural attraction or feeling of kinship

   Broader terms

   attractionattractiveness

   Examples

   an affinity for politics

   the mysterious affinity between them

   More examples (1)

   James's affinity with Sam