Definition and pronunciation
affair /əˈfer/ — noun with several senses:
- a romantic or sexual relationship outside an existing commitment;
- a social event or occasion;
- a matter, issue, or concern;
- plural affairs = ongoing business or public matters (foreign affairs, current affairs).
Easy explanation
An affair can mean a secret relationship, a special event (like a big party), or simply “a thing to deal with.” In the plural, affairs means someone’s business or government matters.
Grammatical formation
- Countable noun: an affair, two affairs.
- Fixed plural sense: affairs (“mind your own affairs,” “Ministry of Foreign Affairs”).
- Typical verb frames: have an affair; conduct an affair; an affair becomes public; handle one’s affairs.
Meanings and nuances
- Romantic/sexual relationship outside a committed partnership — often secret and emotionally charged.
- Event/occasion — “a lavish affair,” “a low-key affair.”
- Matter/concern — “a private affair,” “a tricky affair.”
- Public/business matters (plural) — “affairs of state,” “current affairs.”
With prepositions and variants
- affair with someone → romantic/sexual sense (“He had an affair with a coworker”).
- affair between A and B → emphasizes two parties.
- affair of the heart → romantic concern; affairs of state → government business.
- a family/private affair → belongs to the family or individual.
- an affair to remember → memorable event (set phrase).
- mind your own affairs → deal with your own business.
Common collocations
have an affair, extramarital affair, secret affair, illicit affair, office affair, emotional affair, long-running affair, brief affair, love affair, scandalous affair, an affair to remember, grand affair, low-key affair, family affair, private affair, current affairs, foreign affairs, domestic affairs, state of affairs, affairs of state
Idioms and neighboring expressions
love affair with (figurative, “a love affair with jazz”), affair of the heart, carry on an affair, no small affair (not minor), mind your own affairs, state of affairs, affairs of the heart, an affair to remember
Word comparisons
- affair vs relationship: affair often implies secrecy or non-monogamy; relationship is neutral.
- affair vs fling/tryst/liaison: fling/tryst suggest brief or clandestine meetings; liaison is formal/elegant.
- affair vs adultery: adultery is specifically sexual infidelity within marriage; affair may be romantic, emotional, or sexual, married or not.
- affair vs event/function: event/function only mean an occasion; affair can mean that or more.
- affairs vs news/current events: current affairs = news analysis and public issues.
Real-life examples
- “Rumors of an office affair led to an HR inquiry.”
- “The wedding reception was a small, tasteful affair.”
- “Please don’t interfere; this is a private affair.”
- “Parliament debated the state of the nation’s affairs.”
- “Her lifelong love affair with books began in childhood.”
Sample sentences
- “He denied having an affair with a colleague.”
- “The gala was an expensive affair.”
- “It’s a family affair, so attendance is limited.”
- “Their affair of the heart lasted only a summer.”
- “The ministry handles foreign affairs.”
- “That’s none of my affair, so I stayed out of it.”
- “The documentary covers current affairs in the region.”
- “She carried on an affair while traveling for work.”
- “What a sorry state of affairs!”
- “They kept the ceremony a low-key affair.”
Synonyms
liaison, fling, romance, tryst, entanglement, love affair, extramarital relationship, scandal, event, occasion, function, matter, concern, business, affairs, public business
Antonyms
fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, transparency, propriety, monogamy, non-event, irrelevance
Related terms
infidelity, adultery, cheating, emotional affair, scandal, relationship, romance, secret, clandestine, current affairs, foreign affairs, domestic affairs, matter, issue, state of affairs
Connection to sexuality
“Affair” can refer to sexual or romantic infidelity, but the word isn’t always sexual. It also means a social event or a matter of business, and in the plural it refers to ongoing public or private matters (foreign affairs, personal affairs).
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, language, and self-expression.