2. (Law) The establishment or ascertaining of parentage; the assignment of a child, as a bastard, to its
father; filiation.
3. Connection in the way of descent. H. Spencer.
Affinal
(Af*fi"nal) a. [L. affinis.] Related by marriage; from the same source.
Affine
(Af*fine") v. t. [F. affiner to refine; (L. ad) + fin fine. See Fine.] To refine. [Obs.] Holland.
Affined
(Af*fined") a. [OF. afiné related, p. p., fr. LL. affinare to join, fr. L. affinis neighboring, related
to; ad + finis boundary, limit.] Joined in affinity or by any tie. [Obs.] "All affined and kin." Shak.
Affinitative
(Af*fin"i*ta*tive) a. Of the nature of affinity. — Af*fin"i*ta*tive*ly, adv.
Affinitive
(Af*fin"i*tive), a. Closely connected, as by affinity.
Affinity
(Af*fin"i*ty) n.; pl. Affinities [OF. afinité, F. affinité, L. affinites, fr. affinis. See Affined.]
1. 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.
Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh.
1 Kings iii. 1.
2. Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds,
of colors, or of languages.
There is a close affinity between imposture and credulity.
Sir G. C. Lewis.
2. Companionship; acquaintance. [Obs.]
About forty years past, I began a happy affinity with William Cranmer.
Burton.
4. (Chem.) 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.
5. (Nat. Hist.) A relation between species or highe groups dependent on resemblance in the whole
plan of structure, and indicating community of origin.
6. (Spiritualism) 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.
Affirm
(Af*firm") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Affirmed (-fermd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Affirming.] [OE. affermen, OF.
afermer, F. affirmer, affermir, fr. L. affirmare; ad + firmare to make firm, firmus firm. See Firm.]
1. To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; esp. (Law), to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order,
brought before an appellate court for review.
2. To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true; — opposed to deny.
Jesus, . . . whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
Acts xxv. 19.
3. (Law) To declare, as a fact, solemnly, under judicial sanction. See Affirmation, 4.
Syn. — To assert; aver; declare; asseverate; assure; pronounce; protest; avouch; confirm; establish; ratify. —
To Affirm, Asseverate, Aver, Protest. We affirm when we declare a thing as a fact or a proposition.
