Affiliation Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How to Use It

Do you know the meaning of affiliation? Not to worry; we’ll tell you. Read on to discover our complete guide on the word affiliation.

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You’ve likely heard the word “affiliation” before, but do you know what it means? Or how to properly use the term in a sentence? Not to worry; we’re here to help. 

In this article, we’re exploring affiliation to uncover its definition, origin, synonyms, and more. So, if you’ve ever wondered about the term affiliation and its meaning — keep reading. 

What Is the Definition of Affiliation?

Collins English Dictionary defines the noun affiliation as a business relationship or a social relationship. Affiliation can also be defined as a connection with a political party, religious group, or organization. 

In this case, think of things like a political party; however, you can be connected to any number of things. Your local church could have an affiliation with another larger organization, for example. More often than not, you will see a group of small organizations sharing an affiliation with a singular large organization. 

Our word of the day can also be defined as a society, club, or umbrella organization — most commonly; you will see this in the form of a trade union. 

What Is the Origin of Affiliation?

Our word of the day’s etymology begins in 1751, when the noun as we know it was first coined. Affiliation is a derivative of the French affiliation and the Medieval Latin affiliationem (which is a nominative of affiliatio).

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Affiliation?

For those that haven’t cracked open a thesaurus since grade school — and for everyone else, too — we have included a list of synonyms and antonyms for the word affiliation below provided by Power Thesaurus

Synonyms:

  • Association
  • Alliance
  • Faith community
  • Tie 
  • Incorporating 
  • Religious group
  • Connection
  • Partnership
  • Religious order
  • Close associations
  • Relationship
  • Union 
  • incorporation
  • Common lineage
  • Banding together
  • Tie-in 
  • Family ties
  • Religious institution
  • Tie-up
  • Blood relationships
  • Bond 
  • Family connections
  • Link 
  • Kin
  • Trade union 
  • Cult
  • A valuable financial affiliation 
  • Church
  • Cultural group

Antonyms:

  • Isolation
  • Seclusion 
  • Social isolation
  • Disconnection 
  • Disassociation 
  • Severance
  • Solo effort
  • Discord
  • Lack of cooperation
  • Uninvolvement 
  • Disinterest
  • Holding back
  • Splinter group
  • Distance
  • Pulling out
  • Unapproachability 
  • Rivalry
  • Foot dragging
  • Standoffishness 
  • Opposition
  • Non-compliance
  • Dropping out
  • Ignorance 
  • Non Relationship 
  • Out of body experience

How Can You Use Affiliation in a Sentence?

By now you know that affiliation is simply the state or process of being affiliated or affiliating. To further your overall understanding of the term, we suggest quizzing yourself to see how many sentences you can come up with properly using affiliation.

If you need some help, refer to our example sentences below:

With a name like “The Right Elephants,” you can see why everyone is confused when they find out the band has no affiliation to the Republican political party.

I am unsure why he was trying to deny his political affiliations; it was clear by what issues he cared about.

I don’t mean to be rude, but I am not happy with your affiliation with racism, so I’ve made the decision to avoid your company.

Do you know what the affiliation is between healing crystals and spirituality?

The affiliation that you have with your ex is toxic.

Everyone knows that the student body president has an affiliation with the dean; hence why he keeps winning the election each year.

The results showed major differences by party affiliation.

We asked the court for an affiliation order against Mickey.

Jonas and I aren’t affiliated in any way, shape, or form — so yes, I am free to go out on a date with you this weekend.

The gang requires all new members to tattoo their faces to proclaim their affiliation loud and clear.

Tod is affiliated with the church and can help to get you set-up with volunteer work if needed.

The contract says that all affiliations must be disclosed prior to voting.

John’s affiliation with chocolate is not very healthy, to say the least.

Sondra’s royal affiliation is what landed her in the prestigious school.

What Are Translations of Affiliation?

Translating between different languages builds bridges between cultures. It can also reveal their structural differences and similarities. With this in mind, here are some of the many translations of the term affiliation:

  • Brazilian Portuguese — filiação
  • Chinese — 紧密联系
  • European Portuguese — filiação 
  • Spanish — afiliación 
  • Thai — ความเกี่ยวพันใกล้ชิดหรือเป็นทางการ
  • Italian — affiliazione 
  • Japanese — 提携
  • Indonesian — afiliasi
  • Korean — 연계
  • European Spanish — afiliación 
  • French — affiliation 
  • German — Verbund

The Bottom Line

If you have an affiliation to someone, you have an official connection to that individual — in other words, you’re both affiliated with one another. 

We hope this guide has provided you with all the information you need to fully understand the meaning of affiliation. If you’d like to discover more interesting terms and their definitions, head on over to our website. We also have useful grammar tools and helpful tips ready for you to use if needed. 

Sources:

  1. Affiliation definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  2. Affiliation synonyms – 776 Words and Phrases for Affiliation | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Affiliation: definition | Cambridge English Dictionary 
  4. Affiliation | translation English to Spanish | Cambridge Dictionary