affiliation

noun

af·​fil·​i·​a·​tion ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce affiliation (audio)
plural affiliations
Synonyms of affiliation
: the state or relation of being closely associated or affiliated with a particular person, group, party, company, etc.
The radio station has maintained a longtime affiliation with the concert hall and often has featured performers as guests on the air.
A former Democrat, Joseph McCarthy had switched his affiliation and was elected in the Republican landslide of 1946 …—Ted Widmer
… hundreds of businessmen owe their success to an affiliation with organized crime.—William Bastone

Synonyms of affiliation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of affiliation in a Sentence

the Little League team, despite its name, the Northern Dynamites, has no affiliation with the Northern Dynamite Company
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These are issues that affect all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. — Dr. Jaime Knopman, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Also under the rule, the Postal Service would not collect or record party affiliation and would not inspect ballot contents. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The financial affiliations have prompted speculation, especially through strands of the Iranian diaspora, who accuse some of its journalists of exaggerating the level of support for figures in the opposition and of advocating for war. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 For that reason, my position is not about personal connections to one company or another, my feelings about the moguls who run them, or those moguls’ political affiliations. — Mike Schur, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for affiliation

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affiliation was in 1791

Rhymes for affiliation

See All Rhymes for affiliation

Browse Nearby Words

affiliate marketing
affiliation
affiliation order
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affiliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All