affair

8 definitions • 14 examples

a situation or subject that is being dealt with or considered:

foreign affairs As a leader, he's been criticized for his inexperience in foreign affairs.

interfere in someone's affairs He's always interfering in (= trying to influence) other people's affairs.

financial affairs She organizes her financial affairs very efficiently.

What I do in my spare time is my affair (= only involves me).

a matter or situation that causes strong public feeling, usually of moral disapproval:

The arms-dealing affair has severely damaged the reputation of the government.

The president's handling of the affair has been criticized.

a sexual relationship, especially a secret one:

extramarital affair She discovered that her husband was having an extramarital affair.

have an affair She's having an affair with a married man.

love affair The book doesn't make any mention of his love affairs.

an event:

The party turned out to be a quiet affair.

an object of the type stated:

She wore a long black velvet affair.

a situation or subject that is being dealt with or considered; a matter:

The meeting was addressed by an expert in South American affairs.

What I do in my spare time is my own affair (= a private matter).

a sexual relationship, esp. a secret one

an event:

Their wedding was a pretty boring affair.