Meaning & use
affiliation
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A close official connection between a person or smaller body and a larger organization.
Grammar: Usually with with or to: her affiliation with the university.
Patterns
- an affiliation with something
- affiliation to something
The researcher listed her university affiliation on the paper.
The school has an affiliation with a local museum.
He declined to state his political affiliation.
noununcountable
The state of being linked to a group by belief, loyalty or membership.
Grammar: Often modified by religious or political: religious affiliation.
Patterns
- religious affiliation
- party affiliation
The survey asked about each person's religious affiliation.
Party affiliation can affect how people vote.
Their affiliation with the club goes back decades.
Word forms
| plural | affiliations |
|---|
Common combinations
- political affiliation
- Her political affiliation is not public.
- religious affiliation
- Applicants need not state a religious affiliation.
- party affiliation
- Voters can register a party affiliation.
- institutional affiliation
- Include your institutional affiliation in the abstract.
- have an affiliation with
- The charity has an affiliation with several hospitals.
Synonyms and how they differ
- connection
- Connection is a general word for any link, while affiliation implies a formal tie to an organization.
- association
- Association is looser and can be informal, while affiliation suggests a recognized relationship.
- membership
- Membership means being a member, whereas affiliation can be a lesser tie.
- alliance
- Alliance suggests partners joined for a shared goal, often with equal standing.
Opposites
Word family
- affiliate verb
- to connect or join with a larger body
- affiliate noun
- a person or company linked to a larger one
- affiliated adjective
- officially connected
- disaffiliate verb
- to end a connection with an organization
Commonly confused: affiliation or affection?
affiliation vs affection
Affection means fondness for someone, whereas affiliation is a formal link.
Practice
On the form, please state your university ___.
Choose one answer.
Affiliation means the institution you are formally linked to. Affliction means suffering, and affection is warm feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “affiliation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.