to produce a change in someone or something
Cold weather can affect your smartphone battery life.
Lack of sleep deeply affects how well students learn in class.
✦ Middle English, from Latin affectare ‘aim at, strive after’, frequentative of afficere ‘do to, act on’.
to regularly like, choose, or wear something
She affects bright colors in her artwork.
The author affects long, winding sentences in his novels.
✦ Sense evolved in 17th century from Latin ‘afficere’ with nuance of ‘be inclined toward’.
to pretend to have a particular feeling, way of speaking, or style to impress others
He likes to affect a British accent when he tells jokes.
She affected indifference, but I could see she was excited.
✦ Same Latin root as primary sense, later developing the meaning ‘pretend to feel’.
a person’s visible emotional state or expression
The therapist noted that the patient's affect was flat during the session.
A sudden burst of laughter showed a change in his affect.
✦ Adopted into psychology in late 19th century from German Affect, ultimately from Latin affectus ‘feeling’.
in a warm, loving, and caring way that shows deep affection
Grandpa stroked the cat affectionately as it purred on his lap.
The coach patted each player affectionately on the back after the big win.
a warm, gentle feeling of liking or love toward someone or something
The little girl showed her affection for the puppy by hugging it tightly.
He accepted the award with sincere affection for everyone who had supported him.
✦ From Latin ‘affectio’ meaning a state of feeling or love, related to ‘affect’.
