affiliate
uh-FIL-ee-ayt
/əˈfɪl.i.eɪt/
To officially attach or connect a person or organization to a larger body.
Implies a formal, structured, but subsidiary relationship rather than full integration or ownership.
The story behind the word. Affiliate has a surprisingly warm family history. It comes from the Medieval Latin affiliatus, meaning 'adopted as a son' (from ad- 'to' + filius 'son'). Over the centuries, this intimate concept of bringing someone into a family was adopted by businesses and institutions to describe bringing a smaller group into a larger corporate family.
Word relationships
- associate: Associate is a broader term for any connection, while affiliate implies a formal, often legal or structural, partnership with a larger entity.
- disaffiliate: Disaffiliate means to formally sever a connection or association with an organization.
Commonly confused with
- subsidiary: A subsidiary is fully owned and controlled by a parent company, whereas an affiliate has a looser, collaborative partnership without full ownership.
Word family
- affiliation (noun): The state or process of affiliating or being affiliated.
Collocations
- affiliate with
- corporate affiliate
- officially affiliated
- university affiliate
Example sentences
- "Each party agrees not to affiliate with any direct competitor during the term of this contract." A legal agreement between two corporate entities.
Memory hook
Look at the 'fili' in affiliate. It sounds like 'filial' (relating to a son or daughter). Think of a business 'adopting' a smaller branch as its child. Adopted into the corporate family.
When not to use
Do not use for casual, informal friendships or temporary, unstructured collaborations.
Fun facts
- The concept of 'affiliate marketing'—where individuals earn a commission by promoting another company's products—was popularized by Amazon in the late 1990s.
Related words
Explore more words
attachment, integrate, allegiance, symbiotic, annex, fellowship
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