Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 VERB If someone or something affords you an opportunity or protection, they give it to you. [FORMAL ] □ [V n n] This affords us the opportunity to ask questions about how the systems might change. □ [V n] It was a cold room, but it afforded a fine view of the Old City. USAGE afford

You use afford with can , could , or be able to . Don’t say that someone ‘affords’ something. □  It’s too expensive – we can’t afford it. □  When will we be able to afford a new TV?

af|ford|able /əfɔː ^r dəb ^ə l/ ADJ If something is affordable , most people have enough money to buy it. □  …the availability of affordable housing. ●  af|forda|bil|ity /əfɔː ^r dəb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □  …research into homelessness and housing affordability.

af|for|esta|tion /æfɒ r I ste I ʃ ^ə n, [AM ] -fɔː r-/ N‑UNCOUNT Afforestation is the process of planting large numbers of trees on land which has few or no trees on it. □  Since the Sixties, afforestation has changed the Welsh countryside.

af|fray /əfre I / N‑SING An affray is a noisy and violent fight, especially in a public place. [FORMAL ]

af|front /əfrʌ nt/ (affronts , affronting , affronted )

1 VERB If something affronts you, you feel insulted and hurt because of it. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] His reforms had so affronted many of his natural supporters in England. ●  af|front|ed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □  He pretended to be affronted, but inwardly he was pleased.

2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something is an affront to you, it is an obvious insult to you. □ [+ to ] It's an affront to human dignity to keep someone alive like this.

Af|ghan /æ fgæn/ (Afghans ) ADJ Afghan means belonging or relating to Afghanistan, or to its people or language. □  …the Afghan capital, Kabul. ● N‑COUNT An Afghan is a person who comes from Afghanistan.

afi|cio|na|do /əf I ʃiənɑː doʊ/ (aficionados ) N‑COUNT If someone is an aficionado of something, they like it and know a lot about it. □ [+ of ] I happen to be an aficionado of the opera, and I love art museums. □  …a jazz aficionado.

afield /əfiː ld/

1 PHRASE Further afield or farther afield means in places or areas other than the nearest or most obvious one. □  They enjoy participating in a wide variety of activities, both locally and further afield.

2 PHRASE If someone comes from far afield , they come from a long way away. □  Many of those arrested came from far afield.

afire /əfa I ə ^r / ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If something is afire or is set afire , it is on fire or looks as if it is on fire.

aflame /əfle I m/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If something is on fire, you can say it is aflame . [LITERARY ]

afloat /əfloʊ t/

1 ADV [usu ADV after v, oft v-link ADV , n ADV ] If someone or something is afloat , they remain partly above the surface of water and do not sink. □  They talked modestly of their valiant efforts to keep the tanker afloat.

2 ADV [usu ADV after v, oft v-link ADV , n ADV ] If a person, business, or country stays afloat or is kept afloat , they have just enough money to pay their debts and continue operating. [BUSINESS ] □  They are borrowing just to stay afloat, not for investment.

afoot /əfʊ t/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that a plan or scheme is afoot , it is already happening or being planned, but you do not know much about it. □  Everybody knew that something awful was afoot.

afore|men|tioned /əfɔː ^r menʃ ^ə nd/ ADJ [ADJ n] If you refer to the aforementioned person or subject, you mean the person or subject that has already been mentioned. [FORMAL ] □  A declaration will be issued at the end of the aforementioned U.N. conference.