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Meaning of affair | Babel Free

Noun CEFR B1 Frequent
əˈfɛə

Definitions

  1. Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
    in-plural, often
  2. matter, issue, business
  3. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
  4. asunto, cuestión.
  5. affair (a romantic relationship)
  6. Something done or experienced; a matter or event: Preparing dessert was a messy affair.
  7. An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
  8. first-person singular present indicative of asuntar
  9. affairsa. Transactions and other matters of professional or public business: affairs of state.
  10. A material object (vaguely designated).
  11. An object or a contrivance: Their first car was a ramshackle affair.
  12. An adulterous relationship, chiefly of a married person. (from affaire de cœur, affair of the heart).
  13. A sexual relationship between two people, especially when at least one of them is married or in another committed romantic relationship.
  14. An otherwise illicit romantic relationship, such as with someone who is not one's regular partner (boyfriend, girlfriend).
  15. a thing to be done or attended to; matter; business: this affair must be cleared up.
  16. A person with whom someone has an adulterous relationship.
  17. an event or happening: a strange affair.
  18. A party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature.
  19. (qualified by an adjective or descriptive phrase) something previously specified, esp a man-made object; thing: our house is a tumbledown affair.
  20. The (male or female) genitals.
    archaic, slang
  21. a sexual relationship between two people who are not married to each other
  22. anything requiring action or effort; business; concern.

Equivalents

Català afer
Čeština poměr záležitost
Esperanto afero aĵo amafero amaĵo amintrigo okazaĵo
فارسی ماجرا
Suomi asia esine selkkaus syrjähyppy
Français aventure liaison
Gaeilge cas rud
Magyar ügy viszony
Հայերեն գործ
Italiano affare
한국어 불륜 사건
Kurdî ajo caş ding reş reş romans
Кыргызча иш
Latina rēs
Lingála likambo
Монгол хэрэг
Polski romans sprawa
Português afazer assunto caso coisa negócio
Română afacere
Svenska affär
IsiZulu indaba

Examples

“a difficult affair to manage”
“Responsibility is my affair, reciprocity is his.”
“There are a number of issues external to the institution that can influence the fiscal management of student affairs.”
“an affair of honor”

a duel

“an affair of love”

an intrigue

“The house was a ramshackle affair.”
“The Creole affair is important because, from the slaves' standpoint, the Creole affair was the most successful slave revolt in American history.”
“He used a hook-shaped affair with a long handle to unlock the car.”
“This garden is a ramshackle affair.”
“She wore a starched white affair on her head, had a wart on one cheek, and silver-rimmed spectacles hung on the tip of her nose.”
“The house was a big elaborate limestone affair, evidently new. Winter sunshine sparkled on lace-hung casement, on glass marquise, and the burnished bronze foliations of grille and door.”
“The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green.”
“About ¼ mile north of Uxbridge terminus, an inclined connection drops to the goods yard, a small affair of a few coal sidings at ground level, west of the station.”
“When Martin's wife found out about his affair with her best friend, she asked for a divorce.”
“Mary had an affair with a woman from the gym.”
“Andrew Gudmund (from whom I am the seventh in descent) had an affair of the same kind. He also refused to have the child baptised[.]”
“"Mean to say you been havin' an affair with Mrs. Peabody?"”
“The emotions involved in affairs can seem like a rollercoaster ride – one moment sublime and exciting, the next full of guilt and confusion. Some people seem to enjoy the drama of these sorts of encounter, relishing the highs and lows. But for most people the experience of an affair can be difficult to manage - even if the affair eventually leads to a committed relationship.”
“Jerry's girlfriend said she wanted to go steady, but she was in an affair with one of his team-mates.”
“I was his affair and he was a little boy toy to me... Together it was our little scandal.”
“Turns out she's married; he was her affair.”
“Even though my husband forgave me and gave me another chance, I still continue to see my affair.”
“She was my affair, but for me she was everything.”
“She also guessed that Lady Gladstone had not told them the affair had been planned some time ago. “We are looking forward to visiting you on Friday, Lady Gladstone,” said Harriet. “Geoffrey thought I might have forgotten because you sent us your invitation such ages ago, but I said, 'My dear brother, how could I possibly forget an invitation from Lady Gladstone?'“ “How very odd,” commented the comte lazily. “Lady Gladstone was just telling us it was an impromptu affair.””
“... ſhe, with the greateſt effrontery imaginable, unbuttons his breeches, and removing his ſhirt, draws out his affair, ſo ſhrunk and diminiſh’d that I could not but remember the difference, now creſt-fallen, or just faintly lifting its head: but our experinc’d matron very ſoon, by chafing it with her hands, brought it to ſwell to that ſize and erection I had before ſeen it up to.”

CEFR level

B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
See all B1 English words →

See also

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