Affinity
[ə'fɪnɪtɪ] or [ə'fɪnəti]
Definition
(noun.) a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; 'an affinity for politics'; 'the mysterious affinity between them'; 'James's affinity with Sam'.
(noun.) inherent resemblance between persons or things.
(noun.) the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule; 'basic dyes have an affinity for wool and silk'.
(noun.) (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody.
(noun.) a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character; 'found a natural affinity with the immigrants'; 'felt a deep kinship with the other students'; 'anthropology's kinship with the humanities'.
(noun.) (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts; 'in anatomical structure prehistoric man shows close affinity with modern humans'.
(noun.) (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship.
Edited by Ingram--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) 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.
(n.) Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages.
(n.) Companionship; acquaintance.
(n.) 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.
(n.) A relation between species or highe/ groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin.
(n.) 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.
Inputed by Carlo
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Relationship (by marriage), KIN, CONSANGUINITY, propinquity.[2]. Resemblance, likeness, relation, correlation, analogy, connection, similarity, similitude, parallelism, correspondence, parity, sympathy.[3]. (Chem.) Attraction.
Checker: Marge
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Relationship, relation, kindred, conformity, connection, alliance, similarity,analogy, homogeneity, harmony, correlativeness, sympathy, interdependence,interconnection, intercommunity
ANT:Dissimilarity, discordance, disconnection, independence, antagonism, antipathy,repugnance, interrepulsiveness
Typist: Thaddeus
Definition
n. nearness of kin agreement or resemblance: causal relationship: structural resemblance between languages of ultimately common origin: structural resemblance between plants animals or minerals pointing to identity of stock: relationship by marriage opposed to consanguinity or relationship by blood: (B.) social relationship: the spiritual relationship between sponsors and their godchild: a mysterious attraction supposed to exist between two persons: (chem.) the peculiar attraction between the atoms of two simple substances that makes them combine to form a compound.—adj. Affin′itive.
Typed by Hannah
Unserious Contents or Definition
Complimentary term for your husband or your wife. Sometimes a synonym for 'Your finish.'
Typed by Bartholdi
Examples
- Even that one touch of colour visible in the red satin pincushion bore affinity to coral; even that dark, shining glass might have mirrored a mermaid. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- Any affinity to wantonness and intemperance? Plato. The Republic.
- No two men can have less affinity between them, one would say, than Mr Twemlow and my husband. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- Or any affinity to virtue in general? Plato. The Republic.
- By the term systematic affinity is meant, the general resemblance between species in structure and constitution. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- Mr. Nairne, in 1777, was the first to discover the affinity that sulphuric acid had for water vapor, and in 1810 Leslie froze water by this means. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- One of his sayings may be quoted here: It is impossible to withdraw from the world, and associate with birds and beasts that have no affinity with us. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- The degree of sterility does not strictly follow systematic affinity, but is governed by several curious and complex laws. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- Since Thomasin's marriage Mrs. Yeobright had shown him that grim friendliness which at last arises in all such cases of undesired affinity. Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- Mere display left her with a sense of superior distinction; but she felt an affinity to all the subtler manifestations of wealth. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable. Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice.
- But let me ask you another question: Has excess of pleasure any affinity to temperance? Plato. The Republic.
- There seemed to be a near affinity between us. Charles Dickens. Hard Times.
- But the correspondence between systematic affinity and the facility of crossing is by no means strict. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- In the same early morning, I discovered a singular affinity between seeds and corduroys. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- The elder De Candolle has made nearly similar observations on the general nature of the affinities of distinct families of plants. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- The real affinities of all organic beings, in contradistinction to their adaptive resemblances, are due to inheritance or community of descent. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- In this case its affinities to the other fourteen new species will be of a curious and circuitous nature. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- The principle on which Lithography depends is the different chemical affinities of water for oily and for earthy substances, which cause it to run off from the one and adhere to the other. Frederick C. Bakewell. Great Facts.
- The affinities of all the beings of the same class have sometimes been represented by a great tree. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- We can understand, on the above views, the very important distinction between real affinities and analogical or adaptive resemblances. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- On these same principles we see how it is that the mutual affinities of the forms within each class are so complex and circuitous. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- It was not in Bertha's habits to be neighbourly, much less to make advances to any one outside the immediate circle of her affinities. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- Whether they were dark whites of Iberian or Dravidian affinities is less certainly to be denied. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- Our classifications are often plainly influenced by chains of affinities. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- The original inhabitants of the Japanese Islands were probably a northern people with remote Nordic affinities, the Hairy Ainu. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
Inputed by Ezra