affair
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
matters or events that are connected with a person, a group, or a country.
matters of public or private business; often used in the plural to describe professional or political concerns.
Simple“The minister refused to comment on the internal affairs of the neighboring country.”
In context“The board of directors is responsible for managing the financial affairs of the corporation and ensuring legal compliance.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'affairs' when referring to business or politics.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a secret sexual relationship between two people, especially when at least one of them is married to someone else.
a romantic or sexual relationship between two people who are not married to each other, typically involving infidelity.
Simple“He found out that his wife was having an affair with a colleague from work.”
In context“The tabloid press thrived on rumors of a clandestine affair between the high-profile politician and the famous actress.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
an event, situation, or object that you are describing in a particular way.
an event, proceeding, or physical object that is characterized by a specific quality or adjective.
Simple“The whole dinner party was a very formal affair with many strict rules.”
In context“The investigation into the missing funds became a long and complicated affair that lasted for several years.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
a small fight between soldiers that is not big enough to be called a full battle.
a military engagement or skirmish of limited scale, typically involving smaller units rather than entire armies.
Simple“The border affair resulted in a few injuries but did not lead to a full-scale war.”
In context“Historians describe the encounter as a minor affair, though it significantly impacted the morale of the local garrison.”
Synonyms
Usage affairs director · affairs spokesperson
“Most of the ads paid for by AIPAC did not have anything to do with U.S.-Israel affairs or El-Sayed’s position on ending aid to Israel.”
“She sees her four years on the island as “a grand love affair that couldn’t last for ever”.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.