Meaning & use
affinity group
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small group of people who share a common interest, identity, or purpose and meet or act together.
Grammar: Countable: an affinity group, affinity groups. Often followed by of or for.
Patterns
- an affinity group for something
- an affinity group of people
- join an affinity group
She joined an affinity group for women in engineering.
The company supports several affinity groups, including one for new parents.
Affinity groups can provide support and networking opportunities.
nouncountablespecialist
In politics, a small group of activists who work together on a specific action or campaign.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: affinity groups.
Patterns
- an affinity group
- affinity groups
The protest was organized by several affinity groups.
Each affinity group was responsible for a different part of the event.
Word forms
| plural | affinity groups |
|---|
Common combinations
- employee affinity group
- The employee affinity group meets once a month.
- join an affinity group
- New staff are encouraged to join an affinity group.
- affinity group for
- There is an affinity group for LGBTQ+ employees.
- affinity group meeting
- The affinity group meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- support group
- A support group focuses on emotional help; an affinity group is broader and based on shared interests or identity.
- network
- A network can be larger and less formal; an affinity group usually has a specific shared purpose.
Word family
- affinity noun
- A natural liking or connection between people or things.
Commonly confused: affinity group or affinity?
affinity group vs affinity
Affinity is the feeling of connection; an affinity group is the group itself.
Practice
A small group of employees who share a common background and meet regularly is called a(n) ______.
Choose one answer.
An 'affinity group' is the group of people; 'affinity' alone is the feeling of connection. 'Affine group' is a mathematical term, and 'affiliation' means a connection or membership.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “affinity group”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.