Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1100-1200
Language: Old French
Origin: afaire, from à faire 'to do'

affair

 noun
     
af‧fair S2 W1 [countable]
1

public/political activities

affairs

[plural]
a) public or political events and activities:
world affairs
They were accused of interfering in China's internal affairs.
the exclusion of women from public affairs
a foreign affairs correspondent for CNN
b) things connected with your personal life, your financial situation etc:
I am not prepared to discuss my financial affairs with the press.

➔ state of affairs

at state1 (8)
2

event

a) an event or set of related events, especially one that is impressive or shocking:
the Watergate affair
The whole affair was a disaster.
b) used when describing an event:
The party was a very grand affair.
3

relationship

a secret sexual relationship between two people, when at least one of them is married to someone else [= love affair]
affair with
He had an affair with his boss that lasted six years.
4

object

informal old-fashioned used when describing an object, machine etc:
The computer was one of those little portable affairs.
5

be somebody's affair

if something is your affair, it only concerns you and you do not want anyone else to get involved in it:
What I do in my free time is my affair.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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