affair
B2Neutral to formal in non-romantic senses; often informal or euphemistic in the sense of a romantic/sexual liaison.
Definition
Meaning
A matter, event, or series of related actions, often of personal or social concern. It can refer to personal romantic or sexual liaisons outside a committed relationship.
Can refer to an event, situation, or matter of a particular type (e.g., business, state, personal). In the plural ('affairs'), it often denotes ongoing public or financial matters (e.g., state of affairs, financial affairs).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's meaning is highly context-dependent. The 'romantic' sense is very common in informal contexts. The plural form 'affairs' often implies public, governmental, or financial matters. Can be used after certain nouns to denote events of a specific character (e.g., gala affair).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. In British English, the phrase 'affair of state' and 'state of affairs' are slightly more common in formal/political contexts. No major syntactic or semantic differences.
Connotations
The 'romantic liaison' sense is equally strong in both dialects. The term 'current affairs' is more strongly associated with news/analysis programs in BrE.
Frequency
Similar high frequency in both dialects, with a slight skew towards more formal usage in the 'matter/business' sense in AmE corporate contexts (e.g., 'a private affair').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to have an affair (with someone)to be someone's affaira(n) [adjective] affairaffair of the heartmind your own affairsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a storm in a teacup (for a trivial affair)”
- “mind your own affairs”
- “affair of the heart”
- “state of affairs”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The merger was a complex affair, taking over a year to finalise." (Neutral)
Academic
"The study examines the diplomatic affairs of the post-war period." (Formal, plural)
Everyday
"Organising the school fair was a bigger affair than we'd expected." OR "She found out he was having an affair." (Informal/Personal)
Technical
Not typically technical; used in political science/history ('foreign affairs').
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The birthday party was a fun affair.
- It's my affair, not yours.
- The wedding was a simple affair in the village hall.
- He had an affair with his colleague.
- The government is focusing on domestic affairs before the election.
- The whole affair was handled very poorly by management.
- Her memoir candidly discusses her extramarital affairs and their impact on her career.
- The ambassador is a leading expert on East Asian affairs.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of AFFAIR as A-FAIR: Imagine a public FAIR (event). An AFFAIR can be a public event or a personal 'event' (like a secret romance).
Conceptual Metaphor
RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS (e.g., 'conduct an affair'); EVENTS ARE ENTITIES (e.g., 'the whole affair was a disaster').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'дело' for all contexts. 'Romantic affair' is not 'романтика'. 'Love affair' is specifically secret/illicit. 'Affairs' (plural) as in 'foreign affairs' translates to 'дела', but 'family affairs' might be 'семейные вопросы'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'an affair' to mean any relationship (it implies secrecy/impropriety). Using 'affairs' as singular (e.g., 'an important affairs'). Confusing 'affair' with 'event' in overly formal invitations.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'affair' NOT refer to a romantic/sexual liaison?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, that is a very common meaning, but not the only one. It can refer to any matter, event, or set of circumstances (e.g., 'a public affair', 'state of affairs').
An 'event' is a specific happening at a specific time. An 'affair' often implies a more complex or involved series of actions, or carries a specific tone (e.g., 'a tedious affair'). It can also be more abstract (e.g., 'a private affair').
In the context of a committed relationship like marriage, it carries a strong negative connotation of betrayal and secrecy. Outside that specific context, it can be neutral (e.g., 'She's having a love affair with Paris' is metaphorical and positive).
It typically refers to ongoing matters or business, often of a public, financial, or organisational nature. Common phrases: 'current affairs' (news), 'foreign affairs', 'financial affairs', 'get your affairs in order'.