affinity

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic

n. a close connection between two things because they have similar qualities or features.

n. a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship, especially a resemblance in structure or origin.

“There is a clear affinity between the two languages, as many of their words share the same roots.”

“Scholars have noted a stylistic affinity between the early works of these two painters, despite their different geographical backgrounds.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. the force that makes certain atoms or chemicals join together.

n. the tendency of certain substances to combine with others, forming chemical bonds or complexes.

“Carbon has a high affinity for oxygen, which is why it burns so easily.”

“The researcher measured the binding affinity of the new drug to ensure it would target the correct receptors in the brain.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Computing Technical

n. a setting that keeps a computer task running on the same processor to make it faster.

n. the tendency or configuration to keep a specific process or task running on a particular CPU core to optimise cache performance.

“Setting the processor affinity helped the server handle the heavy traffic more efficiently.”

“By adjusting the thread affinity, the developer was able to reduce latency in the high-frequency trading application.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Formal · Technical

n. a family relationship through marriage rather than by blood.

n. the relationship that a person has to the blood relatives of their spouse by virtue of the marriage.

“In many legal systems, affinity is treated differently than blood relationships regarding inheritance.”

“The judge had to determine if the witness's relationship by affinity to the defendant constituted a conflict of interest.”