affair
noun
event/situation
ADJ. whole She saw the whole affair as a great joke.| glittering, grand I knew that the wedding would be a grand affair.| sordid, sorry, squalid
VERB + AFFAIR deal with, handle Many people have criticized the way the government handled the affair.| be involved in | investigate
PHRASES sb's involvement in the affair He has tried to play down his involvement in the affair.| a state of affairs How did this state of affairs come about?| wash your hands of the affair (= to refuse to be responsible for sth or involved in sth)
sexual relationship
ADJ. brief, casual | clandestine, secret | adulterous, extramarital | passionate, torrid | unhappy | love a torrid love affair
VERB + AFFAIR carry on, conduct, have He's having an affair with a colleague.
AFFAIR + VERB go on How long has the affair been going on?
PREP. ~ between It's the story of a secret affair between a married teacher and her teenage student.| ~ with an affair with a married man
sth that concerns one person/small group
ADJ. family, personal, sb's own It's a family affair.
PHRASES sb's affair What I do at the weekend is my affair.| no affair of sb's That's no affair of yours.
affairs: important matters
ADJ. current a current affairs programme on television| private, public | domestic, home, internal, national | community, local | European, foreign, external, international, world the minister for foreign affairs| business, financial, legal | commercial, consumer, cultural, economic, environmental, military, political, religious, social
VERB + AFFAIR administer, arrange, attend to, conduct, manage, run I am trying to arrange my father's financial affairs.| settle, wind up | interfere in, meddle in
PHRASES affairs of state The Cabinet will be discussing certain affairs of state.| put/set your affairs in order I want to put my affairs in order before I die.| a state of affairs the current state of affairs in schools
