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Definition of affinity : 1. A relation between species or highe groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin.
2. A superior spiritual relationship or attraction held to exist sometimes between persons, esp. persons of the opposite sex; also, the man or woman who exerts such psychical or spiritual attraction.
3. Companionship; acquaintance.
4. Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages.
5. Relationship by marriage ( as between a husband and his wife's blood relations, or between a wife and her husband's blood relations); - in contradistinction to consanguinity, or relationship by blood; - followed by with, to, or between.
6. That attraction which takes place, at an insensible distance, between the heterogeneous particles of bodies, and unites them to form chemical compounds; chemism; chemical or elective affinity or attraction.

Synonyms:

chemical attraction, family relationship, similarity, kinship, simile, sympathy, agreement, comparison, same, liking, similitude, uniformity, alikeness, strain, susceptibility, likeness, interconnection, parallelism, uniformness, analogy, proportion, alliance, kinship by marriage, stock, lineage, phylogenetic relation, instability, parity, fraternity, resemblance, relation, breed, fondness, tie, heritage, coincidence, appetency, propinquity, semblance

junction, connection, link, relationship, bond, correlation, attachment, association

attraction, allurement, enticement, charm, gravitation, fascination, temptation, lure, appeal, attractiveness, magnetism, traction, allure, draw, pull

friendliness, friendship, affection, amicability, congeniality, amiability, empathy, companionability, chumminess, neighborliness, closeness, sociability, warmheartedness, like-mindedness

correspondence

grain, predilection, proclivity, bias, penchant, trend, propensity, course, bent, predisposition, tenor, direction, inclination, aptness, disposition, temperament, proneness, tendency, polarity, leaning

Usage examples:

• For however boldly antagonism may storm the ranks of society, it will certainly be repelled, whereas affinity cannot be resisted; and they who, against obstacles of birth, claim and keep their position among the educated and refined, have that affinity. - "The Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith", George Meredith.
• Between the Midianites and the Israelitish fugitives from Egypt there had been close affinity. - "Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations", Archibald Sayce.
• Now it is a curious fact that critics who hold to the much- disputed tradition that the Apostle John wrote the Gospel and Epistles, although these writings make no such claim, and have no affinity with the known character, show as a rule remarkable alacrity to dismiss the claims of Revelation, which positively declares John to have been its author, and has far stronger evidence, both internal and external, in support of the claim, than have either the Gospel or the Epistles. - "The Making of the New Testament", Benjamin W. Bacon.