Word
affix
Phoneticsaf·fix, stress on the first syllable
/ˈæfɪks/
Definitions
01to attach
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
v. to stick, fasten, or attach something to something else.
v. to attach, fasten, or stick one thing to another. Transitive; requires a direct object and often takes the preposition 'to'.
Español:afijar
“You must affix a recent photograph to your visa application form.”
“The technician was instructed to affix the warning labels to the exterior of the machinery before it left the factory floor.”
Usage
Typically used in administrative or technical contexts rather than casual conversation.
02linguistics
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical
n. a group of letters added to the start or end of a word to change its meaning.
n. a bound morpheme attached to a stem or root to form a new word or word form. This category includes prefixes, suffixes, and infixes.
“In the word 'unhappy', the letters 'un' are a negative affix.”
“The professor explained how the addition of a derivational affix can change a word's grammatical category from a verb to a noun.”
Usage
Countable noun used primarily in the study of language structure.
03mathematics
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical
n. a way to show a complex number as a point on a graph.
n. the complex number a + bi corresponding to a specific point (a, b) in the complex plane.
“The student plotted the affix on the Gauss plane during the geometry lesson.”
“In complex analysis, the affix represents the coordinates of a point within the Argand diagram.”
Usage
Highly specialized term used in complex number theory.
Real-World Examples
“The administration argues it is an executive branch organization, and pushed ahead, last December, with affixing Trump’s name to the exterior of the building, using bolted-on lettering.” “Researchers were now transporting that fluid to the lab, a large room with high ceilings and long, narrow rows of benches, each affixed to shelves cluttered with vials, pipettes and biohazard containers.” Etymology
From Latin affixus, the perfect passive participle of affigere ("to fasten to"), itself from ad- ("to") + figere ("to fix, fasten"). The spelling was later reshaped by surface analysis as a- + fix.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/affix
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0