state of affair

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "state of affair" is not correct; it should be "state of affairs." You can use it to describe the current situation or condition regarding a particular issue or topic.
Example: "The state of affairs in the company has changed significantly since the new management took over."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Preferences and goals are encoded through a "loss" (or "utility") function, which measures the cost incurred by making any admissible decision for any given (hidden) state of affair.

Plosone

This state of affair transcends into their marital life where they continue living in poverty [ 26].

BMC International Health and Human Rights

A term is a word that has meaning (semantics) and most often refers to objects, ideas, events or a state of affair.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The key concept is the notion of a state-of-affair or "infon" (see the entry states of affairs).

SEP

Our review of the state-of-affairs of GM crops in Europe raises several fundamental issues.

EMBO Reports

state of affairs.

The New York Times

What a sad state of affairs!

The New York Times

A completely sad state of affairs.

The Guardian - Sport

It was an unsustainable state of affairs.

The New Yorker

It's a strange state of affairs.

The Economist

This is a desperate state of affairs".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the plural form, "state of affairs", to adhere to standard English grammar and avoid sounding incorrect.

Common error

Avoid using the singular form "state of affair". The correct and widely accepted form is "state of affairs", which refers to a set of circumstances.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "state of affair" is intended to function as a noun phrase, describing a condition or situation. However, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form, "state of affairs", functions as a noun phrase. Ludwig AI highlights this grammatical error.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The query "state of affair" is a grammatically incorrect form of the phrase. The correct phrase is "state of affairs", which is a noun phrase used to describe a situation or condition. As Ludwig AI indicates, the plural form is essential for grammatical correctness. While the intent is clear, using the singular form constitutes an error. The corrected phrase appears in neutral to formal writing across various sources, including news media, scientific publications, and encyclopedias. Always use "state of affairs" to avoid this common grammatical mistake.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

state of affairs

Pluralizes "affair" to correct the grammatical error and align with standard usage.

current situation

Focuses on the present circumstances, omitting the potentially negative connotation.

prevailing conditions

Highlights the circumstances that are currently dominant or widespread.

existing circumstances

Emphasizes that the situation is already in place.

the way things are

Offers an informal expression for the present condition.

how things stand

Similar to "the way things are", but implies a more temporary situation.

the position

A more concise way to refer to the state of something.

the lay of the land

An idiomatic expression that means the general state of things.

the backdrop

Focuses on the circumstances as the context or setting for something else.

the context

Highlights the circumstances surrounding an event or situation.

FAQs

How do I properly use "state of affairs" in a sentence?

Use "state of affairs" to describe a current situation or condition. For example: "The current "state of affairs" in the company is concerning."

What is the difference between "state of affair" and "state of affairs"?

"State of affair" is grammatically incorrect. The correct expression is ""state of affairs"", which is used to describe a situation or set of circumstances.

Are there formal alternatives to "state of affairs"?

Yes, formal alternatives include "current situation", "prevailing conditions", or "existing circumstances".

Is "state of affairs" considered a formal or informal expression?

"State of affairs" is generally considered a neutral expression suitable for both formal and informal contexts, but alternatives like "the way things are" are more informal.