affiliate

1 of 2

verb

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt 
affiliated; affiliating
Synonyms of affiliate

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring or receive into close connection as a member or branch
The medical school is affiliated with a hospital.
b
: to associate as a member
affiliates herself with the local club
2
: to trace the origin of
affiliated Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to earlier plays

intransitive verb

: to connect or associate oneself : combine
refused to affiliate with any political party

affiliate

2 of 2

noun

af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ət 
-ˌāt
: an affiliated person or organization
the network's local affiliates

Synonyms of affiliate

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Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of affiliate in a Sentence

Verb Their group does not affiliate itself with any political party. Noun Two of the company's regional affiliates lost money in the past year. our local Humane Society is an affiliate of a national organization
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Each was affiliated with a broadcast network or cable outlet, but still capable of selling projects to a wide range of buyers, which created genuine competition. — Mike Schur, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 In April 2026, MuCEM workers affiliated with trade unions published another letter calling for Costa’s suspension, citing the allegations against him. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
SafeBets plans to monetize collective intelligence for affiliate brokerages. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Kubasik, who has served as CEO since 2021, resigned from the L3Harris board and all of its subsidiaries and affiliates. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for affiliate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from French affilier "to bring into close connection" (going back to Middle French, "to adopt as a son," borrowed from Medieval Latin affīliāre, from Latin ad- ad- + -fīliāre, verbal derivative of fīlius "son") + -ate entry 4 — more at feminine entry 1

Noun

derivative of affiliate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1767, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1793, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affiliate was in 1767

Phrases Containing affiliate

Rhymes for affiliate

See All Rhymes for affiliate

Browse Nearby Words

affies
affiliate
affiliated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affiliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliate. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ˌāt 
affiliated; affiliating
: to connect closely often as a member, branch, or associate
affiliation
-ˌfil-ē-ˈā-shən 
noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfil-ē-ət 
: an affiliated person or organization

Legal Definition

affiliate

1 of 2 verb
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌāt 
affiliated; affiliating

transitive verb

1
: to bring or receive into close association as a member or division
2
: to join or associate as a member or division

intransitive verb

: to connect or associate oneself
—usually used with with
has just affiliated with the huge corporation
affiliation
ə-ˌfi-lē-ˈā-shən 
noun

affiliate

2 of 2 noun
af·​fil·​i·​ate ə-ˈfi-lē-ət 
: an affiliated person or organization
specifically : a business entity effectively controlling or controlled by another or associated with others under common ownership or control compare parent sense 2, subsidiary

More from Merriam-Webster on affiliate

Nglish: Translation of affiliate for Spanish Speakers

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