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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

affair en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /əˈfeː/ (Australia)
  • /əˈfiə/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
  • /əˈfɛɹ/ (General-American)
  • /əˈfeɹ/ (Scotland)
  • (US) audio
  • /əˈfɛɚ/ (General-American)
  • /əˈfɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
  • /əˈfe̝ə/ (New-Zealand) without the cheer–chair merger
  • /əˈfɛə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Latin facio Old French faire Old French afaireder. Middle English afere English affair From Middle English afere, affere, from Old French afaire, from a- + faire (“to do”), from Latin ad- + facere (“to do”). See fact, and compare ado.

Meanings

  1. (in-plural, often) Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
    • Responsibility is my affair, reciprocity is his. 1992, Zygmunt Bauman, Mortality, Immortality and Other Life Strategies, →ISBN, page 45:
    • There are a number of issues external to the institution that can influence the fiscal management of student affairs. 2011, George S. McClellan, Jeremy Stringer, The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, →ISBN:
    • a difficult affair to manage
  2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
    • an affair of honor
    • an affair of love
    • The Creole affair is important because, from the slaves' standpoint, the Creole affair was the most successful slave revolt in American history. 2014, Arthur T. Downey, The Creole Affair, →ISBN:
    • The house was a ramshackle affair.
  3. An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
  4. A material object (vaguely designated).
    • This garden is a ramshackle affair.
    • He used a hook-shaped affair with a long handle to unlock the car.
    • About ¼ mile north of Uxbridge terminus, an inclined connection drops to the goods yard, a small affair of a few coal sidings at ground level, west of the station. 1952 March, R. K. Kirkland, “The Railways of Uxbridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 151:
    • The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green. 1944, Miles Burton, The Three Corpse Trick, chapter 5:
    • She wore a starched white affair on her head, had a wart on one cheek, and silver-rimmed spectacles hung on the tip of her nose. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 200:
    • The house was a big elaborate limestone affair, evidently new. Winter sunshine sparkled on lace-hung casement, on glass marquise, and the burnished bronze foliations of grille and door. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
  5. An adulterous relationship, chiefly of a married person. (from affaire de cœur, affair of the heart).
    • When Martin's wife found out about his affair with her best friend, she asked for a divorce.
    • The emotions involved in affairs can seem like a rollercoaster ride – one moment sublime and exciting, the next full of guilt and confusion. Some people seem to enjoy the drama of these sorts of encounter, relishing the highs and lows. But for most people the experience of an affair can be difficult to manage - even if the affair eventually leads to a committed relationship. 2001, Julia Cole, After the Affair, →ISBN, page 123:
    • Andrew Gudmund (from whom I am the seventh in descent) had an affair of the same kind. He also refused to have the child baptised[.] 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 251:
    • Mary had an affair with a woman from the gym.
    • "Mean to say you been havin' an affair with Mrs. Peabody?" 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 82:
  6. An otherwise illicit romantic relationship, such as with someone who is not one's regular partner (boyfriend, girlfriend).
    • Jerry's girlfriend said she wanted to go steady, but she was in an affair with one of his team-mates.
  7. A person with whom someone has an adulterous relationship.
    • I was his affair and he was a little boy toy to me... Together it was our little scandal. 2010, “Scandal”, in ABC:
    • Even though my husband forgave me and gave me another chance, I still continue to see my affair. 2012 February 3, “I Am Having An Affair With My Best Friend”, in The Experience Project:
    • She was my affair, but for me she was everything. 2014, “Will it be Love or Will it be Fate that Win?”, in Princess Kaurvaki:
    • Turns out she's married; he was her affair. 2010 June 20, Pamela Paul, “Today's women can have it all -- including a midlife crisis”, in The Washington Post:
  8. A party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature.
    • She also guessed that Lady Gladstone had not told them the affair had been planned some time ago. “We are looking forward to visiting you on Friday, Lady Gladstone,” said Harriet. “Geoffrey thought I might have forgotten because you sent us your invitation such ages ago, but I said, 'My dear brother, how could I possibly forget an invitation from Lady Gladstone?'“ “How very odd,” commented the comte lazily. “Lady Gladstone was just telling us it was an impromptu affair.” 2014, M.C. Beaton, The French Affair, →ISBN:
  9. (archaic, slang) The (male or female) genitals.
    • ... ſhe, with the greateſt effrontery imaginable, unbuttons his breeches, and removing his ſhirt, draws out his affair, ſo ſhrunk and diminiſh’d that I could not but remember the difference, now creſt-fallen, or just faintly lifting its head: but our experinc’d matron very ſoon, by chafing it with her hands, brought it to ſwell to that ſize and erection I had before ſeen it up to. 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, page 69:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
affaire alternative, obsolete lexicographic
affairs Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

affairless · have an affair · affair of honour · nonaffair · affairette · emotional affair · affair baby · affair of honor · cyberaffair · affair partner · love affair · Ugandan affairs

Relateds

liaison

Synonyms

affair · event · incident · happening · proceeding · occurrence · matter · hap · befalling · episode · happening · goings-on · concern · instance · occasion · goings-on

Translations (138)

he רומן (adulterous relationship) · fi asia (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · de Affäre (adulterous relationship) · de Scharmützel (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · pt assunto (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · ja 事件 (that which is done or is to be done) · bg дело (that which is done or is to be done) · el ερωτική σχέση (adulterous relationship) · de Liebesangelegenheit (adulterous relationship) · bni likambo (that which is done or is to be done) · sv affär (adulterous relationship) · eo okazaĵo (party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature) · pdt Sach (that which is done or is to be done) · ru штуко́вина (material object (vaguely designated)) · pt caso (adulterous relationship) · el θέμα (that which is done or is to be done) · ru шту́чка (material object (vaguely designated)) · ota امر (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · zu indaba (that which is done or is to be done) · fi selkkaus (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · ko 사건 (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · eo sekretaĵo (adulterous relationship) · hy գործ (that which is done or is to be done) · pdt Sach (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · pt negócio (that which is done or is to be done) · ca afer (that which is done or is to be done) · pl romans (adulterous relationship) · fi asia (that which is done or is to be done) · uk спра́ва (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · bg схватка (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · ro afacere (that which is done or is to be done) · de Beziehung (adulterous relationship) · eo amaĵo (adulterous relationship) · de Ding (material object (vaguely designated)) · ga cás (that which is done or is to be done) · uk ді́ло (that which is done or is to be done) · ja 浮気 (adulterous relationship) · ga rud (material object (vaguely designated)) · ru афе́ра (adulterous relationship) · zza gurwe (diq) (that which is done or is to be done) · es partes (male or female genitals) · es lío de faldas (adulterous relationship) · fa ماجرا (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · he פרשה (that which is done or is to be done) · eo amafero (adulterous relationship) · ja 不倫 (adulterous relationship) · it affare (that which is done or is to be done) · eo aĵo (material object (vaguely designated)) · es aventura (adulterous relationship) · de Liebesverhältnis (adulterous relationship) · bg връзка (adulterous relationship) · cmn 戀愛 /恋爱 (adulterous relationship) · es escarceo amoroso (adulterous relationship) · de Gspusi (adulterous relationship) · io afero (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · el ζήτημα (that which is done or is to be done) · nl romance (adulterous relationship) · de Liebesbeziehung (adulterous relationship) · uk зв'язо́к (adulterous relationship) · ru причинда́лы (male or female genitals) · ru интри́га (adulterous relationship) · fi esine (material object (vaguely designated)) · pt negócio (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · hu ügy (that which is done or is to be done) · ru де́льце (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · ko 불륜 (adulterous relationship) · io afero (adulterous relationship) · de Angelegenheit (that which is done or is to be done) · ca afer (adulterous relationship) · pt afazer (that which is done or is to be done) · ky иш (that which is done or is to be done) · nl verhouding (adulterous relationship) · ja 情事 (adulterous relationship) · ja 問題 (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · cmn 戀愛關係 /恋爱关系 (adulterous relationship) · io kozo (material object (vaguely designated)) · ru штуке́нция (material object (vaguely designated)) · el πατέντα (material object (vaguely designated)) · eo afero (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · el ερωτοδουλειά (adulterous relationship) · fi syrjähyppy (adulterous relationship) · es rollo (adulterous relationship) · ga cás (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · ar شَأْن (that which is done or is to be done) · de Liebelei (adulterous relationship) · eo afero (that which is done or is to be done) · ru де́ло (that which is done or is to be done) · de Angelegenheit (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · el υπόθεση (that which is done or is to be done) · mn хэрэг (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · el συμπλοκή (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · eo afero (material object (vaguely designated)) · ota امر (that which is done or is to be done) · cs záležitost (that which is done or is to be done) · grc πρᾶγμα (that which is done or is to be done) · grc πρᾶγμα (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · he עניין (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · es asunto (adulterous relationship) · fr aventure (adulterous relationship) · bg работа (that which is done or is to be done) · ru связь (adulterous relationship) · ru боестолкнове́ние (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · de Verhältnis (adulterous relationship) · ru рома́н (adulterous relationship) · hu viszony (adulterous relationship) · el ζήτημα (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · pt caso (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · ar عَلَاقَة غَرَامِيَّة (adulterous relationship) · pl sprawa (that which is done or is to be done) · es negocio (that which is done or is to be done) · es asunto (material object (vaguely designated)) · es asunto (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · bg въпрос (material object (vaguely designated)) · pt coisa (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · pt negócio (material object (vaguely designated)) · zu udaba class 11/10 (that which is done or is to be done) · ln likambo (that which is done or is to be done) · ja 恋愛関係 (adulterous relationship) · cs poměr (adulterous relationship) · el θέμα (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · es amorío (adulterous relationship) · uk рома́н (adulterous relationship) · sh afera (adulterous relationship) · ru де́ло (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · de Liebschaft (adulterous relationship) · nl affaire (adulterous relationship) · es devaneo (adulterous relationship) · io afero (that which is done or is to be done) · es affaire (afer) (adulterous relationship) · de Liebesaffäre (adulterous relationship) · de Liaison (adulterous relationship) · de Liebesabenteuer (adulterous relationship) · fr liaison (adulterous relationship) · la rēs (any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely) · la rēs (that which is done or is to be done) · ru схва́тка (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle) · eo amintrigo (adulterous relationship) · uk су́тичка (action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle)