Affiliation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˌfɪliˈeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A connection or relationship to a group or organization is indicated through an association or membership
2. A relationship with a particular organization or group is shown by an association or membership
3. A bond or connection to a specific entity is expressed through either membership or an association

Etymology: The most telling part of "affiliation" is its core image: it comes from a Latin verb meaning "to adopt as a son." The Latin "affiliō" joins "ad-", meaning "to," with "filius," "son," so to affiliate something was literally to bring it into the family. The prefix took the form "af-" before the "f" of "filius," a small shift that makes the root easy to miss. The noun "affiliatiō" was formed from that verb to name the act of adopting or attaching. It passed into French as "affiliation," and English borrowed the French form. Over time the sense of formal kinship faded into the looser idea of being linked to an organization, so a person today can be affiliated with a university or a party without anyone thinking of a son at all.

Synonyms: association, connection, relationship, alliance, partnership

Antonyms: disassociation, separation, detachment, estrangement, isolation