Antonyms for affair
| Grammar : Noun |
| Spell : uh-fair |
| Phonetic Transcription : əˈfɛər |
Definition of affair
Origin :- c.1300, "what one has to do," from Anglo-French afere, Old French afaire (12c., Modern French affaire) "business, event; rank, estate," from the infinitive phrase à faire "to do," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + facere "to do, make" (see factitious).
- A Northern word originally, brought into general use and given a French spelling by Caxton (15c.). General sense of "vague proceedings" (in romance, war, etc.) first attested 1702. Meaning "an affair of the heart; a passionate episode" is from French affaire de coeur (itself attested in English from 1809); to have an affair with someone in this sense is by 1726, earlier have an affair of love:
- 'Tis manifeſtly contrary to the Law of Nature, that one Woman ſhould cohabit or have an Affair of Love with more than one Man at the ſame time. ["Pufendorf's Law of Nature and Nations," transl. J. Spavan, London, 1716]Thus, in our dialect, a vicious man is a man of pleasure, a sharper is one that plays the whole game, a lady is said to have an affair, a gentleman to be a gallant, a rogue in business to be one that knows the world. By this means, we have no such things as sots, debauchees, whores, rogues, or the like, in the beau monde, who may enjoy their vices without incurring disagreeable appellations. [George Berkeley, "Alciphron or the Minute Philosopher," 1732]
- noun matter or business to be taken care of; happening activity
- noun illicit sexual relationship
- noun party or celebration
- In this affair real meanings are rarely conveyed except by silences.
- Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
- "My aunt will treat the affair like the sensible woman she is," replied the earl.
- Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
- If she wanted to do the sort of thing she was doing, that was her affair.
- Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- But Joe's affair with Sidney had been the talk of the neighborhood.
- Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
- I thought, the moment I saw you, that you were here for this affair.
- Extract from : « In the Midst of Alarms » by Robert Barr
- But Rico did not take the same view of the affair as his little friend.
- Extract from : « Rico and Wiseli » by Johanna Spyri
- At last the child was quiet and slept; but his mother had miscalculated the affair.
- Extract from : « Rico and Wiseli » by Johanna Spyri
- Hiram sat gazing silently at the road, as if all this was no affair of his.
- Extract from : « In the Midst of Alarms » by Robert Barr
- The affair which has given us so much anxiety is drawing to a happy conclusion.
- Extract from : « Lady Susan » by Jane Austen
- She withdrew a pace, almost as though washing her hands of the affair.
- Extract from : « The Leopard Woman » by Stewart Edward White
Synonyms for affair
- affaire
- amour
- assignment
- avocation
- calling
- carrying on
- case
- circumstance
- concern
- do
- duty
- employment
- entertainment
- episode
- event
- extracurricular activity
- fling
- function
- gathering
- goings-on
- hanky-panky
- hap
- happening
- incident
- interest
- intimacy
- intrigue
- job
- liaison
- love
- mission
- obligation
- occupation
- occurrence
- office function
- playing around
- proceeding
- profession
- project
- province
- pursuit
- question
- realm
- reception
- relationship
- rendezvous
- responsibility
- romance
- shindig
- soiree
- subject
- task
- thing
- thing together
- topic
- transaction
- two-timing
- undertaking
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019