affair

A2 Topic:Family & Relationships

US /əˈfɛɹ/ UK /əˈfɛə/ See IPA manual

Freq #2072

Meanings

1

noun
A secret romantic or sexual relationship, usually involving someone who is married.

He left his wife after she found out about his affair.
2

noun
An event or situation, especially a public or organized one.

The wedding was a grand affair with hundreds of guests.
3

noun
A matter or piece of business that needs to be dealt with.

Sorting out the inheritance turned into a difficult affair.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · an event or situation,... function event occasion

3 noun · a matter or piece of... concern matter

Word family

Forms affairs

Derived forms affairetteaffairlesscyberaffairnonaffair

Related forms liaison

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

gala affair
a festive and often formal social occasion

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune

Simplified etymology

Affair entered English in the Middle Ages from Old French à faire, literally “to do.” Its development parallels that of ado, which arose from an equivalent Old Norse expression.

Etymology

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.

afere Middle English afaire Old French ad- Latin *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Family & Relationships

External links

# affair

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈfɛɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈfɛə/
**Frequency rank:** 2072

## Meanings
1. A secret romantic or sexual relationship, usually involving someone who is married.
2. An event or situation, especially a public or organized one.
3. A matter or piece of business that needs to be dealt with.

## Examples
- He left his wife after she found out about his affair.
- The wedding was a grand affair with hundreds of guests.
- Sorting out the inheritance turned into a difficult affair.

## Derived Forms
- affairette
- affairless
- cyberaffair
- nonaffair

## Related Forms
- liaison

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: afere
- Root: afaire
- Root: ad-
- Root: *dʰeh₁-

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Affair comes from Middle English afere, affere, from Old French afaire, from a- plus faire (“to do”), from Latin ad- plus facere (“to do”). Compare fact, and compare ado. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Family & Relationships

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