Affiliate

Definition

Affiliate refers to officially connecting or associating with an organization or a larger entity. In commerce, it often pertains to a subsidiary group or a company that is related to a larger, more prominent organization.

Parts of Speech

• Verb: to affiliate
• Noun: affiliate

Pronunciation

• IPA Pronunciation
• American: /əˈfɪl.i.eɪt/
• British: /əˈfɪl.i.ət/
• Respelling
• American: uh-FIL-ee-ayt
• British: uh-FIL-ee-uht

Etymology

"Affiliate" originates from the Latin "affiliatus", which is the past participle of "affiliare", meaning "to adopt as a son", from "ad-" (to) + "filius" (son).

Derivatives

• Affiliation
• Affiliated
• Affiliative
• Affiliate marketing
• Unaffiliated

Synonyms

• Associate
• Connect
• Align

Antonyms

• Disassociate
• Detach
• Disaffiliate

Usage

"Affiliate" is frequently used in commercial and organizational contexts to signify a formal association or connection between entities. It's especially common in affiliate marketing, where a person or entity promotes products for another company and receives a commission for any sales made through their referral.

Related Terms

• Partnership
• Consortium
• Franchise
• Subsidiary
• Branch

Detailed Definition

As a Verb

• To Connect or Join: To officially attach or connect a person or an entity to an organization, especially a larger one.
• Example: The local sports club decided to affiliate with the national league to gain more recognition.
• To Associate or Relate: To link or categorize something closely with something else.
• Example: The researcher did not wish to be affiliated with any particular school of thought.

As a Noun

• Connected Entity: A person or organization that is officially connected to or controlled by another organization, typically a larger one.
• Example: The university has several affiliates across the country.
• Marketing Partner: In e-commerce, an individual or entity that promotes products for a company and earns a commission for every sale made through their referral.
• Example: As an affiliate, Jane earned a commission for each sale made through her blog's link.

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Note: While "affiliate" serves to represent formal connections in most contexts, in commerce, particularly with online marketing, it specifically refers to a type of partnership where sales and promotions lead to commissions or other types of earnings.