Is Emotional Affairs Also Regarded As An Affair

Private this, private that, What is the difference between  emotional affair and a full  affair, I did ask a few  men and women 90% of women replies , were  'there is nothing like emotional affair when sex is not involved it is not an affair, they argued that it only becomes an affair when sex is involved'
 After the initial question with the  men and women, and their replies and answers, I asked them, if their husband or wives  has a female or male friend, he or she  takes out for a Private dates, sharing loving nothing, sharing intimate thoughts with them, always visiting, always calling the other woman or the other man, what
will they regard the that kind of relationship  their husband or  wives are having to be called, just friendship or emotional affairs,.
 Very quickly their answers changed to a more serious and sad one, their new replies and answers given  was, point black sex or on sex if their husbands or wives were  having that kind of a relationship or friendship with other women or men than it is and will be regarded as an affair.
 They began to see it from my own point of view, that one should not be quick to jump to a concluding reply, because if you really look at it, it is an affair no matter how you see it, why all the secrecy, if it not an affair then  they should take their partners along  with them when visiting or when going on a secrete date, why all the deception and plain betrayal.
What about the extra time they spend with them and all the effort they put into it, and in the process ignoring their partners, what do you call it, not to mention the trust issues, breaking of trust is almost like having sex if not worst. others still saw it as a friendship and nothing more, and my conclusion to them is they must be very trusting which is a good thing  or they are just in denial or afraid of the implicating results.
 So please when next your partner says oh he or she is just a friend, yet they are spending more time than should be, keeping it a secrete and when cutout  they argue that it was only kept a secrete because of their partners respond not because they were having sex, but be rest assured it only a matter of time before it turns into a full affair.  By Betty Nwabunike