afinity

Afinity is a rarely used spelling variant of the word affinity. In standard English, affinity refers to a natural liking, a close relationship, or a chemical or biological attraction between substances or organisms. Afinity is not recognized as a distinct term in major dictionaries and is usually treated as a typographical error or a stylized variation.

In professional writing, the correct spelling affinity should be used in contexts such as affinity chromatography (a method to separate substances by binding strength), antibody–antigen affinity, or CPU affinity (the tendency of a process to run on a particular processor). The use of afinity in these technical contexts would be considered incorrect.

Afinity may appear as a brand name or a fictional term, but such usage does not establish a separate meaning; any meaning would be defined by the entity using the term. When encountered, it is typically necessary to rely on the surrounding context to determine whether afinity is intended as a misspelling, a stylized brand, or a fictional concept.

Etymology: affinity derives from Latin affinitas, indicating a relation or attraction. Afinity has no independent etymology beyond being a nonstandard variant of affinity, usually arising from typographical error or branding choice.

See also: affinity; affinity chromatography; antibody–antigen affinity; CPU affinity; emotional affinity.