affair
[ uh-fair ]
/ əˈfɛər /
noun
VIDEO FOR AFFAIR
WATCH NOW: What Is The Origin Of The Word "Affair"?
When most people hear the word affair, they automatically clutch their pearls and assume it’s referring to some sexy form of infidelity. But, the origins of affair aren’t sexy at all.
Origin of affair
1250–1300; earlier
affaire < French, Old French
afaire for
a faire to do, equivalent to
a (< Latin
ad to) +
faire ≪ Latin
facere; replacing Middle English
afere < Old French
Words nearby affair
afebrile,
afetal,
aff,
aff.,
affable,
affair,
affaire,
affaire d'amour,
affaire d'honneur,
affaire de coeur,
affairs
Example sentences from the Web for affair
British Dictionary definitions for affair
affair
/ (əˈfɛə) /
noun
a thing to be done or attended to; matter; business
this affair must be cleared up
an event or happening
a strange affair
(qualified by an adjective or descriptive phrase)
something previously specified, esp a man-made object; thing
our house is a tumbledown affair
a sexual relationship between two people who are not married to each other
See also
affairs
Word Origin for affair
C13: from Old French, from
à faire to do