English

Etymology

OE. afere , affere , OF. afaire , F. affaire, fr. a faire to do; Latin ad + facere to do. See Fact, and cf. Ado.

Pronunciation

IPA: WEAE /əˈfɛɹ/

Noun

1. That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; as, a difficult affair to manage; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; — often in the plural.
2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue.
3. (Military) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
4. A material object (vaguely designated).
5. An adulterous relationship. (from affaire de coeur.)

Translations

• German: Angelegenheit f (1,2), Scharmützel n (3), Ding n (4), Affäre f (5)
• Ido: afero