Affair

An affair is usually an uncommitted sexual or romantic-sexual relationship that often exists alongside an existing partnership. The term is often used for secret or non-officially agreed connections. An affair may be purely physical, but it can also involve emotional closeness. What usually matters is that it is not intended as a fixed, long-term committed relationship.

In a broader sense, the word can also simply mean an intense encounter or a temporary relationship. In everyday use, however, it usually refers to an extradyadic relationship, that is, a relationship outside an existing partnership. Depending on context, the term may be used neutrally, negatively, or even in a romanticised way.