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affair

affair

753 3.4
A private matter or situation that concerns only a few people
  • noun
  • /əˈfɛr/
translation icon : asunto
  • Clearly, the thought of interfering in her husband's affairs had never crossed her mind.
  • state affairs
  • foreign affairs
  • international affairs

Would you say that anger is a state of affairs or situated?

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Examples

  • Your church has no business in the affairs of state, and you wish to change that.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I have eyes upon him, and his affairs come to me on the wind.

  • So he says for it, the matter in hand is as much its own affair as not a work at all.

  • Your mother kept her private affairs very close to her chest.

  • I have never seen an affair of this sort handled any better.

  • We must protest this whole affair.

  • And there is little reason to believe that this state of affairs will change anytime soon.

    Academic text (2008)
  • While such a structure may fit hard sciences, in human affairs one must question its efficacy.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Indigenous communities have long regulated their affairs in accordance with an elaborate body of customs and conventions.

    Academic text (2011)
  • It is not your affair how I choose to live my life.

Synonyms

thing
vsaffair
1.0

Something you do not know or cannot name

is a concern or issue, not any physical object or entity
matter
vsaffair
2.0

A topic people discuss or deal with

is a general concern often left unspecified or without detail
affairs
vsaffair
1 3.0

Personal or private matters like money, papers and responsibilities

is a single unspecified concern rather than ongoing personal responsibilities

Compounds

46 3.6

A secret romantic or sexual relationship between two people

1 4.4

A large important event with ceremony and celebration

gala affair
  • Formal
1 6.0

A fancy formal party with entertainment to celebrate or raise money

7.8

An unimportant event that people do not take seriously

A situation that has big risks and serious results for the people involved, like a trial or business deal

social affair
  • Formal
3.8

A formal party or ceremony where many people meet

How Important

crisis
3.1
issue
3.0
matter
2.0
affair
753 3.4
detail
1.0
trifle
18 4.6

Surface Forms

affair singular
affairs plural

Etymology

Affair comes from an old French word based on faire meaning 'to do', and it originally meant a 'thing to do' or business. So an 'affair' can simply mean a matter or concern, something that needs attention.