affinity

//əˈfɪnɪti//
C1Frequency Level 11Formal
Visual representation of affinity

Noun

affinitySingular
affinitiesPlural
1

A natural liking, attraction, or feeling of kinship toward someone or something.

She felt an immediate affinity for the small coastal town.

2

A similarity or resemblance in characteristics or structure between things.

There is a clear affinity between the two languages in terms of grammar.

3

A relationship by marriage rather than by blood.

She is related to me by affinity, not by blood.

4

In chemistry, the tendency of a substance to combine with another substance.

Oxygen has a strong affinity for hydrogen, which is why water forms so easily.