- 1affairs [plural] events that are of public interest or political importance world/international/business affairs an expert on foreign affairs (= political events in other countries) affairs of state event
- 2[countable, usually singular] an event that people are talking about or describing in a particular way The newspapers exaggerated the whole affair wildly. The debate was a pretty disappointing affair. She wanted the celebration to be a simple family affair.
- 3[countable] a sexual relationship between two people, usually when one or both of them is married to someone else She is having an affair with her boss. see love affair private business
- 4affairs [plural] matters connected with a person's private business and financial situation I took care of my father's financial affairs. She wanted to put her affairs in order before she died.
- 5[singular] a thing that someone is responsible for (and that other people should not be concerned with) synonym business How I spend my money is my affair. object
- 6[countable] (old-fashioned) (with an adjective) an object that is unusual or difficult to describe Her hat was an amazing affair with feathers and a huge brim. Idioms
public/political activities
a situation, usually a bad one This state of affairs can no longer be ignored.
Check pronunciation: affair