affinity

/ə'finiti/

Thân thiện

A young girl shows a natural affinity for caring for small animals.

Definition

Noun: 1. A natural liking, attraction, or feeling of kinship: A spontaneous feeling of connection, understanding, or sympathy towards a person, thing, or activity. 2. A similarity, connection, or relationship based on shared characteristics: A resemblance or link between people, organisms, ideas, or things due to inherent structural or qualitative likeness. 3. (Chemistry/Immunology) The force causing attraction and binding: The inherent tendency of particles (like atoms, molecules, antigens, and antibodies) to interact, combine, or bind with each other. 4. (Anthropology) Kinship by marriage or adoption: A social relationship established through marriage or legal adoption, as opposed to a blood relationship (consanguinity).

Examples of Usage

• Natural Attraction/Liking:
  • She has a natural affinity for languages and learns them easily.
  • He felt an immediate affinity with his new colleague; they shared the same sense of humor.
• Similarity/Connection:
  • There is a clear affinity between the architectural styles of the two historical periods.
  • The biologist studied the affinity between different species of primates.
• Scientific Attraction:
  • In chemistry, the affinity of oxygen for hydrogen is what forms water.
  • The antibody's affinity for the antigen determines the strength of the immune response.
• Social Kinship:
  • In many cultures, relationships of affinity (in-laws) carry specific social obligations.

Advanced Usage

• "To have an affinity for/with": To possess a natural liking or connection to something or someone.
  • The artist has a great affinity for bold colors and dramatic shapes.
• "Affinity group": A group formed around a shared interest, activity, or characteristic.
  • The company has an affinity group for employees who are passionate about environmental sustainability.

Variants and Related Words

• Affinal (adj): Pertaining to kinship by marriage.
  • Affinal relatives include one's mother-in-law or brother-in-law.

Synonyms

• Attraction: A feeling of being drawn to someone or something.
• Rapport: A close and harmonious relationship where people understand each other's feelings or ideas.
• Resemblance: The state of being alike in appearance or nature.
• Kinship: A sharing of characteristics or origins; blood relationship or feeling of connection.

Antonyms

• Aversion: A strong dislike or disinclination.
• Antipathy: A deep-seated feeling of dislike.
• Disconnection: Lack of a link or relationship.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a natural attraction or feeling of kinship
   • an affinity for politics
   • the mysterious affinity between them
   • James's affinity with Sam
2. inherent resemblance between persons or things
3. the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule
   • basic dyes have an affinity for wool and silk
4. 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
5. (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
6. (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship
7. (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody

Từ đồng nghĩa

• chemical attraction
• kinship
• phylogenetic relation