affordance
noun
af·for·dance
ə-ˈfȯr-dᵊn(t)s 
plural affordances
: the quality or property of an object that defines its possible uses or makes clear how it can or should be used
We sit or stand on a chair because those affordances are fairly obvious.—
Scott Lafee
Scott LafeeAn affordance is a resource or support that the environment offers an animal; the animal in turn must possess the capabilities to perceive it and to use it.—Eleanor J. Gibson et al.
Eleanor J. Gibson et al.Examples of affordance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those are exactly the affordances that have accrued to the early platform companies that have built out their social media networks, built out their data centers.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 28 Aug. 2024
Across industries, the affordances and constraints of collaboration tools, whether physical spaces or digital platforms, shape how people work together.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 3 July 2024
Successful affordance in design allows users to intuitively understand how to interact with a system or product without needing explicit instructions.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Mastodon—an experience that replicates some of Twitter’s affordances, but not all—remains frustrating and confusing for new users.
—Katherine Alejandra Cross, WIRED, 13 July 2023
The affordances of sticks, pedals and things to hit with them enable our sound.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 2 Mar. 2023
For those productivity centric tasks, pairing it with the Magic Keyboard gave us the affordance of classic interfaces to work with — namely a keyboard and trackpad.
—Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, 21 Oct. 2020
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Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 28 Aug. 2024
Across industries, the affordances and constraints of collaboration tools, whether physical spaces or digital platforms, shape how people work together.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 3 July 2024
Successful affordance in design allows users to intuitively understand how to interact with a system or product without needing explicit instructions.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Mastodon—an experience that replicates some of Twitter’s affordances, but not all—remains frustrating and confusing for new users.
—Katherine Alejandra Cross, WIRED, 13 July 2023
The affordances of sticks, pedals and things to hit with them enable our sound.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 2 Mar. 2023
For those productivity centric tasks, pairing it with the Magic Keyboard gave us the affordance of classic interfaces to work with — namely a keyboard and trackpad.
—Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, 21 Oct. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near affordance
Cite this Entry
“Affordance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affordance. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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