affair
♦♦ af|fair /əf'eər/ (affairs)
1 [N-SING] the N
If an event or a series of events has been mentioned and you want to talk about it again, you can refer to it as the affair.
The government has mishandled the whole affair...
The affair began when customs officials inspected a convoy of 60 tankers...
= business, matter
2 [N-SING] usu the n-proper N
You can refer to an important or interesting event or situation as `the ... affair'. (mainly JOURNALISM)
...the damage caused to the CIA and FBI in the aftermath of the Watergate affair.
3 [N-SING] usu supp N
You can describe the main quality of an event by saying that it is a particular kind of affair.
Michael said that his planned 10-day visit would be a purely private affair...
4 [N-SING] supp N
You can describe an object as a particular kind of affair when you want to draw attention to a particular feature, or indicate that it is unusual.
All their beds were distinctive; Mac's was an iron affair with brass knobs...
5 [N-COUNT]
If two people who are not married to each other have an affair, they have a sexual relationship.
She was having an affair with someone at work.
see also love affair
6 [N-PLURAL] usu supp N
You can use affairs to refer to all the important facts or activities that are connected with a particular subject.
He does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of another country...
see also current affairs, state of affairs
7 [N-PLURAL] usu poss N
Your affairs are all the matters connected with your life which you consider to be private and normally deal with yourself.
The unexpectedness of my father's death meant that his affairs were not entirely in order.
8 [N-SING] poss N
If you say that a decision or situation is someone's affair, you mean that it is their responsibility, and other people should not interfere.
If you wish to make a fool of yourself, that is your affair...
= businesslove af|fair (love affairs)
1 [N-COUNT] oft N with/between n
A love affair is a romantic and usually sexual relationship between two people who love each other but who are not married or living together.
...a stressful love affair with a married man.
= relationship
2 [N-SING] with supp, usu N with n
If you refer to someone's love affair with something, you mean that they like it a lot and are very enthusiastic about it.
...the American love affair with firearms...
1 [N-SING] the N
If an event or a series of events has been mentioned and you want to talk about it again, you can refer to it as the affair.
The government has mishandled the whole affair...
The affair began when customs officials inspected a convoy of 60 tankers...
= business, matter
2 [N-SING] usu the n-proper N
You can refer to an important or interesting event or situation as `the ... affair'. (mainly JOURNALISM)
...the damage caused to the CIA and FBI in the aftermath of the Watergate affair.
3 [N-SING] usu supp N
You can describe the main quality of an event by saying that it is a particular kind of affair.
Michael said that his planned 10-day visit would be a purely private affair...
4 [N-SING] supp N
You can describe an object as a particular kind of affair when you want to draw attention to a particular feature, or indicate that it is unusual.
All their beds were distinctive; Mac's was an iron affair with brass knobs...
5 [N-COUNT]
If two people who are not married to each other have an affair, they have a sexual relationship.
She was having an affair with someone at work.
see also love affair
6 [N-PLURAL] usu supp N
You can use affairs to refer to all the important facts or activities that are connected with a particular subject.
He does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of another country...
see also current affairs, state of affairs
7 [N-PLURAL] usu poss N
Your affairs are all the matters connected with your life which you consider to be private and normally deal with yourself.
The unexpectedness of my father's death meant that his affairs were not entirely in order.
8 [N-SING] poss N
If you say that a decision or situation is someone's affair, you mean that it is their responsibility, and other people should not interfere.
If you wish to make a fool of yourself, that is your affair...
= businesslove af|fair (love affairs)
1 [N-COUNT] oft N with/between n
A love affair is a romantic and usually sexual relationship between two people who love each other but who are not married or living together.
...a stressful love affair with a married man.
= relationship
2 [N-SING] with supp, usu N with n
If you refer to someone's love affair with something, you mean that they like it a lot and are very enthusiastic about it.
...the American love affair with firearms...