What does affinity mean?
Word: Affinity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Affinity means a natural liking for someone or something, or a feeling that you understand them and are close to them.
Synonyms: fondness, closeness
Antonyms: dislike
How do you spell affinity?
Syllables: af - fin - i - ty
Tricky part: The word opens with a double f. Said quickly it sounds like one f, so afinity is the usual slip.
Watch out for: afinity, affinnity
Memory tip: Friends Forever: two f words for the two f letters that start affinity, a feeling of friendship.
Affinity in a sentence
Example 1: Rohan has a real affinity for numbers and solves puzzles in his head.
Example 2: The two girls felt an affinity with each other from their very first day at school.
Example 3: Many people in Kerala have a strong affinity with the sea and the backwaters.
Fun Fact
Scientists use affinity too. In chemistry, an element is said to have an affinity for another when the two combine easily, so the word describes atoms as well as friendships.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
affinity
a) rapport
b) attraction
c) kinship
d) aversion
Show answer
d) aversion. Kinship, rapport and attraction all draw people together; an aversion is a strong feeling of not liking something.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
aff_n_ty
a) i,i
b) i,e
c) a,i
d) e,i
Show answer
a) i,i. Both gaps take the same short vowel, and it is the one heard in fin and pity.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) accomodate
b) priviledge
c) affinity
d) occurence
Show answer
c) affinity. Accommodate needs a second m, occurrence a second r, and privilege has no d.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tiyfnaif
a) infinity
b) affinity
c) affluent
d) identity
Show answer
b) affinity. Infinity needs a second n and has no a, while affluent and identity need letters that are not in the jumble.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which pupil shows a clear affinity for music?
a) Lila, who has just moved to the town
b) Anu, who hums tunes and learns songs quickly
c) Ravi, who covers his ears in music class
d) Sam, who often forgets his music book
Show answer
b) Anu, who hums tunes and learns songs quickly
2. A child with an affinity for animals would probably ____.
a) refuse to visit a farm
b) shut the window on birds
c) stay away from every pet
d) enjoy looking after a pet
Show answer
d) enjoy looking after a pet
