What is the difference between a "love affair", and cheating?

Answer 1

Depends on if you are in a relationship with someone else at the time.

If you are single, a love affair is a love affair.
If you are with someone, a love affair with someone else is cheating.

Answer 2

A love affair only needs 2 people.

Cheating involves a minimum of 3 people. Maybe 4.

Answer 3

I don't know, I can see having a love affair with someone and it not be cheating. It could just be a really passionate romance that doesn't last super long, or it does and turns into marriage. It doesn't have to have that nefarious quality to it that the word "affair" connotes.
Cheating is the opposite of a love affair in my mind, it's just banging for the sake of banging someone else.

Answer 4

It just sounds better!