affinity

Noun

• a natural attraction or feeling of kinship
  • an affinity for politics
    
  • the mysterious affinity between them
    
  • James's affinity with Sam
    

• inherent resemblance between persons or things

• the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule
  • basic dyes have an affinity for wool and silk
    

• a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character
  • found a natural affinity with the immigrants
    
  • felt a deep kinship with the other students
    
  • anthropology's kinship with the humanities
    

• (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts
  • in anatomical structure prehistoric man shows close affinity with modern humans
    

• (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship

• (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  chemical attraction , kinship , phylogenetic relation
• Antonyms: 
  consanguinity , blood kinship , cognation