affinity

affinity
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," from ad- "to" (see AD- (Cf. ad-)) + finis "a border, an end" (see FINISH (Cf. finish)). Used figuratively since c.1600 of structural relationships in chemistry, philology, etc. Meaning "natural attraction" (as though by family) is from 1610s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • 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 — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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 — 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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