affairs
PLURAL NOUN:
1. matters of commercial or public interest or concern; the transactions of public or private business or finance:
affairs of state; Before taking such a long trip you should put all your affairs in order; current affairs.
2. personal or business interests:
his affairs were in disorder.
3. commercial, professional, public, or personal business:
handles the company's public affairs; an expert in foreign affairs.
Examples:
After the war, the government focused on its own domestic affairs; They accused the U.S. of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. —Merriam-Webster.
Origin:
1250–1300; earlier affaire < French, Old French afaire for a faire to do, equivalent to a (< Latin ad to) + faire ≪ Latin facere; replacing Middle English afere < Old French. Dictionary 2: C13: from Old French, from à faire to do. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 14th century. History and Etymology: Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere — more at at entry 1, do entry 1. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
1. matters of commercial or public interest or concern; the transactions of public or private business or finance:
affairs of state; Before taking such a long trip you should put all your affairs in order; current affairs.
2. personal or business interests:
his affairs were in disorder.
3. commercial, professional, public, or personal business:
handles the company's public affairs; an expert in foreign affairs.
Examples:
After the war, the government focused on its own domestic affairs; They accused the U.S. of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. —Merriam-Webster.
Origin:
1250–1300; earlier affaire < French, Old French afaire for a faire to do, equivalent to a (< Latin ad to) + faire ≪ Latin facere; replacing Middle English afere < Old French. Dictionary 2: C13: from Old French, from à faire to do. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 14th century. History and Etymology: Middle English aferes "activities," affaire "enterprise," borrowed from Anglo-French afaire, affere "business, activity, enterprise, matter, topic, situation," from the phrase a faire "to do," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + faire "to do," going back to Latin facere — more at at entry 1, do entry 1. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.