affair
noun
af·fair ə-ˈfer 
1
a
affairs plural : commercial, professional, public, or personal business
handles the company's public affairs
an expert in foreign affairs
b
: matter, concern
How I choose to live is my affair, not yours.
2
: a procedure, action, or occasion only vaguely specified
also : an object or collection of objects only vaguely specified
Their house was a 2-story affair.
3
or less commonly affaire
a
: a romantic or passionate attachment typically of limited duration : liaison sense 2b
had an affair with a coworker
b
: a matter occasioning public anxiety, controversy, or scandal : case
the Watergate affair of the early 1970s
Synonyms
- amour
- fling
- love
- love affair
- romance
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
After the war, the government focused on its own domestic affairs. They accused the U.S. of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. How I choose to live is my affair, not yours. adulterous affairs between married men and single women
Recent Examples on the Web Playing a big role in the affair is live entertainment. 
John Benson, cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 At the time of his wife’s murder, Dawson was involved in an extramarital affair with the 16-year-old babysitter of their two daughters, ages 2 and 4 at the time, according to a 2003 court proceeding called an inquest. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 30 Aug. 2022 Gotti was allegedly in an extramarital affair with the artist. Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 After marrying in an intimate Las Vegas affair last month, the newlyweds celebrated their nuptials during a weekend of festivities with family and friends at their home in Riceboro, Georgia, on the Hampton Island preserve outside of Savannah. Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 Kartheiser’s ad executive, Pete Campbell, engaged in an affair with Bledel’s Beth Dawes. Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 That action comedy, starring Cruise as an in-over-his-head pilot who ends up involved in the Iran Contra affair, is a good film with a tremendous old-school Cruise star turn that earned ‘just’ $135 million on a $50 million budget in 2017. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Elon Musk engaged in a brief affair last fall with the wife of Sergey Brin, prompting the Google co-founder to file for divorce earlier this year and ending the tech billionaires’ long friendship, according to people familiar with the matter. WSJ, 25 July 2022 Pete famously ran over catcher Ray Fosse in the 1970 affair, and of course was hit with flak. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2022 See More
John Benson, cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 At the time of his wife’s murder, Dawson was involved in an extramarital affair with the 16-year-old babysitter of their two daughters, ages 2 and 4 at the time, according to a 2003 court proceeding called an inquest. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 30 Aug. 2022 Gotti was allegedly in an extramarital affair with the artist. Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 After marrying in an intimate Las Vegas affair last month, the newlyweds celebrated their nuptials during a weekend of festivities with family and friends at their home in Riceboro, Georgia, on the Hampton Island preserve outside of Savannah. Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 Kartheiser’s ad executive, Pete Campbell, engaged in an affair with Bledel’s Beth Dawes. Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 That action comedy, starring Cruise as an in-over-his-head pilot who ends up involved in the Iran Contra affair, is a good film with a tremendous old-school Cruise star turn that earned ‘just’ $135 million on a $50 million budget in 2017. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Elon Musk engaged in a brief affair last fall with the wife of Sergey Brin, prompting the Google co-founder to file for divorce earlier this year and ending the tech billionaires’ long friendship, according to people familiar with the matter. WSJ, 25 July 2022 Pete famously ran over catcher Ray Fosse in the 1970 affair, and of course was hit with flak. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere — more at at entry 1, do entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing affair
Kids Definition
affair
noun
af·fair ə-ˈfer
1
affairs plural : work or activities done for a purpose : business
government affairs
2
: something that relates to or involves someone
His problem is no affair of mine.
3
: a social event or activity The party was to be a simple affair.
affairs
noun
1
as in romances
also affaires a brief romantic relationship an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- romances
- intrigues
- amours
- love affairs
- dalliances
- flirtations
- liaisons
- entanglements
- flings
- infatuations
- loves
- passions
- hanky-pankies
- idylls
- attachments
- puppy loves
- idyls
- calf-loves
2
as in events
a social gathering the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair Synonyms & Similar Words
- events
- parties
- celebrations
- functions
- receptions
- bashes
- dances
- shindigs
- fetes
- galas
- blowouts
- get-togethers
- binges
- fêtes
- balls
- occasions
- benefits
- blasts
- dos
- suppers
- proms
- do's
- orgies
- bacchanals
- soirees
- fund-raisers
- formals
- bacchanalia
- socials
- symposia
- masquerades
- clambakes
- teas
- symposiums
- cocktail parties
- tea parties
- keggers
- housewarmings
- house parties
- showers
- mixers
- hen parties
- salons
- stags
- soirées
- saturnalias
- bakes
- klatches
- keg parties
- icebreakers
- kaffeeklatsches
- meet and greets
- klatsches
3
as in productions
something produced by physical or intellectual effort the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings Synonyms & Similar Words
- productions
- products
- things
- yields
- works
- results
- outcomes
- fruits
- labors
- outputs
- objects
- produces
- commodities
- developments
- handiworks
- resultants
- issues
- effects
- articles
- goods
- consequences
- aftermaths
- merchandises
- wares
- entries
- handicrafts
- offspring
- corollaries
- sequences
- handcrafts
- aftereffects
- conclusions
- offshoots
- side effects
- derivatives
- lines
- sequels
- upshots
- outgrowths
- offsprings
- spin-offs
- residuals
- byproducts
- side reactions
- by-products
4
as in things
something that happens the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes Synonyms & Similar Words
- things
- events
- circumstances
- incidents
- episodes
- happenings
- occurrences
- experiences
- occasions
- haps
- accidents
- times
- adventures
- news
- phenomena
- coincidences
- crises
- emergencies
- pages
- phenomenons
- milestones
- landmarks
- turning points
- flukes
- deeds
- happenstances
- achievements
- tidings
- co-occurrences
- exploits
- feats
- freaks
- mileposts
- junctures
- happenchances
5
as in matters
something to be dealt with it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight Synonyms & Similar Words
- matters
- things
- problems
- issues
- businesses
- crises
- concerns
- worries
- responsibilities
- considerations
- troubles
- exigencies
- predicaments
- emergencies
- straits
- balls of wax
- crossroads
- care
- junctures
- flash points
- impasses
- corners
- deadlocks
- crunches
- heads
- halts
- pickles
- zero hours
- jams
- fixes
- spots
- scrapes
- holes
- hot waters
- standstills
- stalemates
- lookouts
- pinches