affinity

natural liking, closeness, or connection

Roots

  • ad- / a-: to, toward, added onto, or intensified
  • fin: boundary, end, or limit

Other words with the fin root

  • confine: to keep within limits or boundaries
  • final: last, conclusive, or at the end
  • finish: to bring to an end or complete
  • finite: having limits or an end

Affinity began with bordering: two things close enough to share an edge. Modern affinity is closeness in feeling, fit, or kind.

The student felt an affinity for examples that made the root visible before the definition.

Affinity is not just liking. It feels like nearness: two people, ideas, or habits share a border, so they begin to belong near each other.

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