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   Af·fin·i·ty

   /əˈfinədē/

   

   noun

   • 1. a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something: "he has an affinity for the music of Berlioz" Similar empathyrapportsympathyaccordharmonylike-mindednesscloseness tofellow feeling forunderstanding ofliking forfondness forinclination towardpartiality forpenchant forpredilection towardattraction towardinformal:chemistryrelationshipbondconnectionpropinquityOpposite dislikeaversionantipathyblood relationship
   • ▪ a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship, especially a resemblance in structure between animals, plants, or languages: "a building with no affinity to contemporary architectural styles" Similar similarityresemblancelikenesskinshipcorrespondencerelationshipassociationlinkanalogysimilitudeagreementcompatibilitycongruityparallelismconsonanceidentityidenticalnessuniformityequivalenceOpposite dissimilitude
   • ▪ relationship, especially by marriage as opposed to blood ties.
   • ▪ the degree to which a substance tends to combine with another: "the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘relationship by marriage’): via Old French from Latin affinitas, from affinis ‘related’ (literally ‘bordering on’), from ad- ‘to’ + finis ‘border’.

   Scrabble Points: 17

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   • F

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   • F

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   • I

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   • Y

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