The affinity meaning is a natural liking for something, or a feeling of closeness and similarity with someone. If you have always been drawn to the sea, you could say you have an affinity for it. If you meet a stranger and feel you already understand each other, there is an affinity between you.
Beyond feelings, the word has precise uses in law, family terms, chemistry and biology. All of them grow from one idea: things that sit close to each other and belong together.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A natural attraction or close connectionPart of speech
Noun (plural affinities)Pronunciation
uh-FIN-ih-teeOrigin
Latin affinitas, from affinis, bordering on, related by marriageCommon patterns
an affinity for, an affinity with, an affinity betweenOpposite
aversion, antipathy, dislikeRegister
Neutral to formal; also technical in science
Affinity meaning in four senses
To define affinity properly, keep its main uses apart, as a full definition of affinity does:
- A natural liking or talent. She has an affinity for numbers. This suggests both enjoyment and an easy feel for the thing.
- A sense of connection or similarity. There is a strong affinity between the two writers' styles. People, ideas, cultures or languages can share an affinity.
- Relationship by marriage. In law and in the study of families, affinity is the tie you gain through marriage, such as with in-laws, as opposed to blood relatives.
- Attraction in science. In chemistry, affinity is the tendency of substances to combine. In biology, it describes how strongly a molecule, such as an antibody, binds to its target.
The everyday affinity definition, the one most readers need, is the first or second sense.
Affinity for, with or between?
Prepositions change the shade of meaning slightly:
- affinity for + a thing or activity: a liking or knack. He has an affinity for old machines.
- affinity with + a person or group: fellow feeling or sympathy. She felt an affinity with the other night shift workers.
- affinity between + two things: a shared likeness. Scholars note an affinity between the two folk tales.
Useful adjectives include natural, strong, deep, special and close. You can feel, have, share or develop an affinity.
Affinity in everyday sentences
- My nephew has an affinity for drums and will tap a rhythm on any table he finds.
- Growing up near the hills gave her a lasting affinity with mountain towns.
- Teachers noticed his affinity for languages when he picked up Spanish in a single summer.
- The two neighborhoods share an affinity in food, festivals and old family ties.
- This medicine works because it has a high affinity for a particular receptor in the body.
At a workshop you sit beside someone who laughs at the same odd jokes, reads the same kind of books and grew up in a similar small town.
Within an hour you feel you have known each other for years. That sense of being alike is affinity. It is related to rapport, the easy understanding that follows.
Neighbors at the border: where affinity comes from
Affinity comes from Latin affinitas, from affinis, which meant bordering on and, by extension, related by marriage. It is built from ad, near or toward, and finis, a border or boundary, the same root as finish and final. The image is of two lands that share a border.
English first used the word for relationship through marriage. The broader sense of natural liking and kinship developed later, and the chemistry sense, describing substances that seem drawn to combine, followed as science grew.
Affinity, empathy, rapport and chemistry
| Word | Focus |
|---|---|
| affinity | a natural pull or likeness, often felt early |
| rapport | smooth understanding and trust in a relationship |
| empathy | sharing or understanding another's feelings |
| chemistry (informal) | instant spark between two people |
| kinship | a family-like bond |
On the other side sit aversion and antipathy, both meaning a natural dislike. An affinity does not have to be romantic; friendships and platonic bonds can be full of it.
Affinity groups and other modern uses
Workplaces and campuses sometimes form affinity groups, voluntary groups of people who share an identity, background or interest and want to support one another. Marketers talk about affinity to mean how strongly a customer group is drawn to a type of product. Banks issue affinity cards, credit cards linked to a club, school or charity.
In family law, some rules on who may marry or inherit refer to relatives by affinity (marriage) and by consanguinity (blood), so you may meet the word on legal forms. Words with a similar everyday reach are grouped in our everyday vocabulary hub, where you can browse them by theme.
Frequently asked questions
What does affinity mean in simple words?
Affinity is a natural liking for something or a feeling of being alike and connected with someone. It is the sense that something fits you.
Is it affinity for or affinity with?
Both are correct. Use affinity for with activities and things, like music or animals. Use affinity with for people or groups you feel close to.
Between two people, what does an affinity look like?
A deep sense of connection and shared outlook. Two people with an affinity understand each other easily, whether they are friends, partners or colleagues.
How do you pronounce affinity?
Say uh-FIN-ih-tee, with the weight on FIN. It has four short beats.
What is affinity in chemistry?
It is the tendency of an atom or substance to combine or react with another. In biology, binding affinity measures how tightly one molecule holds on to another.
What is the opposite of affinity?
Aversion and antipathy are the closest opposites. Both mean a natural dislike or a pulling away.