Affinity

Affinity
Affinity Af*fin"i*ty, n.; pl. {Affinities}. [OF. afinit['e], F. affinit['e], L. affinites, fr. affinis. See {Affined}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Relationship by marriage (as between a husband and his wife's blood relations, or between a wife and her husband's blood relations); -- in contradistinction to consanguinity, or relationship by blood; -- followed by with, to, or between. [1913 Webster]

Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh. --1 Kings iii. 1. [1913 Webster]

2. Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages. [1913 Webster]

There is a close affinity between imposture and credulity. --Sir G. C. Lewis. [1913 Webster]

2. Companionship; acquaintance. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

About forty years past, I began a happy affinity with William Cranmer. --Burton. [1913 Webster]

4. (Chem.) That attraction which takes place, at an insensible distance, between the heterogeneous particles of bodies, and unites them to form chemical compounds; chemism; chemical or elective affinity or attraction. [1913 Webster]

5. (Nat. Hist.) A relation between species or higher groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin. [1913 Webster]

6. (Spiritualism) A superior spiritual relationship or attraction held to exist sometimes between persons, esp. persons of the opposite sex; also, the man or woman who exerts such psychical or spiritual attraction. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
(by marriage), , / , , , , , , , , , , , , /


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Affinity — Affinity, in etymology affinity is the opposite of infinity . These two words have the same root coming from the Latin: finis = end . “Affinity” meaning is near to the “finis” e.g. close to the “zero point” in a before assumed space. On the other …   Wikipedia

  • affinity — af·fin·i·ty /ə fi nə tē/ n pl ties: relationship by marriage compare consanguinity Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • affinity — When affinity implies a mutual relationship or attraction, it is normally followed by between or with (The affinity between Britain and most of her former colonies • Beckett…stresses that he wrote the little book on order, not out of any deep… …   Modern English usage

  • affinity — [n1] liking or inclination toward something affection, attraction, closeness, compatibility, cotton*, cup of tea*, druthers*, fondness, good vibrations*, leaning, partiality, rapport, same wavelength, simpatico, sympathy, thing*, weakness*;… …   New thesaurus

  • affinity — (n.) c.1300, relation by marriage (as opposed to consanguinity), from O.Fr. afinité (12c.), from L. affinitatem (nom. affinitas) neighborhood, relationship by marriage, noun of state from affinis adjacent, also kin by marriage, lit. bordering on …   Etymology dictionary

  • affinity — 1 *attraction, sympathy Contrasted words: repugnance, repellency or repulsion, abhorrence (see corresponding adjectives at REPUGNANT): *antipathy, aversion 2 resemblance, *likeness, similarity, similitude, analogy Analogous words: agreement …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • affinity — ► NOUN (pl. affinities) 1) a natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. 2) a close relationship based on a common origin or structure. 3) relationship by marriage. 4) the tendency of a substance to combine with another. ORIGIN Latin… …   English terms dictionary

  • affinity — [ə fin′i tē, afin′i tē] n. pl. affinities [ME affinite < OFr afinite < L affinitas < affinis, adjacent, related by marriage < ad , to + finis, a border] 1. relationship by marriage: distinguished from CONSANGUINITY 2. close… …   English World dictionary

  • affinity — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ close, great, real, special, strong ▪ I felt a great affinity with the people of the islands. ▪ natural ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • Affinity —    In fifteenth century England, an affinity was a web of political and social connections constructed by a nobleman, either on the basis of royal favor and personal political standing or on the basis of family and territorial influence. A noble… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

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