Definition

Noun 1. A matter, concern, or situation that is the subject of attention or action. It refers to a particular piece of business, a personal concern, or a situation that needs to be dealt with. 2. A social event or function. It often implies an event that is elaborate, important, or noteworthy. 3. A romantic or sexual relationship, typically one that is secret or illicit. This meaning often carries a connotation of being outside a primary, committed partnership. 4. (In plural, "affairs"): The public or private business, concerns, or activities of a person, organization, or state.

Usage Examples

• As a matter or concern:
  • "The company's financial affairs are in good order."
  • "How I spend my money is my own affair."
  • "Let's get this affair settled quickly."
• As a social event:
  • "The gala was a grand affair, attended by celebrities and diplomats."
  • "Organizing the wedding was a complicated affair."
• As a romantic/sexual relationship:
  • "The rumors suggested he was having an affair with his assistant."
• As a general thing or object (informal):
  • "This new smartphone is a sophisticated affair with many features."

Advanced Usage

• "State of affairs": The current situation or set of circumstances.
  • "The current political state of affairs is unstable."
• "Affair of the heart": A matter concerning love or romantic emotions.
  • "His decision was not logical; it was purely an affair of the heart."
• "To have an affair": To be engaged in a secret romantic or sexual relationship.
  • "The scandal erupted when it was discovered the minister had been having an affair."

Variants and Related Words

• Love affair (n): A romantic relationship, which may or may not be secret.
• Current affairs (n): Events of political or social importance happening in the world at the present time.

Synonyms

• Matter, concern, business, situation (for meaning 1).
• Event, function, occasion (for meaning 2).
• Liaison, relationship, romance (for meaning 3).

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• Mind your own affair/business: A phrase telling someone not to interfere in matters that do not concern them.
  • "When I asked about his plans, he told me to mind my own affair."
• Put your affairs in order: To organize your personal and financial matters, often in preparation for a major life event like travel, illness, or death.
  • "Before the surgery, he made sure to put his affairs in order."

Noun

1. a vaguely specified social event
   • the party was quite an affair
   • an occasion arranged to honor the president
   • a seemingly endless round of social functions
2. a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship
3. a vaguely specified concern
   • several matters to attend to
   • it is none of your affair
   • things are going well