affect
1
[ verb uh-fekt; noun af-ekt ]
/ verb əˈfɛkt; noun ˈæf ɛkt /
verb (used with object)
to act on; produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.
to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.
(of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.
noun
Psychology.
feeling or emotion.
Psychiatry.
an expressed or observed emotional response: Restricted, flat, or blunted affect may be a symptom of mental illness, especially schizophrenia.
Obsolete.
affection; passion; sensation; inclination; inward disposition or feeling.
Origin of affect
1
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin
affectus acted upon, subjected to; mental or emotional state (past participle and action noun of
afficere), equivalent to
af-
af- +
fec- (combining form of
facere to make, do) +
-tus action noun suffix or
-tus past participle suffix
usage note for affect
Affect1 and
effect, each both noun and verb, share the sense of “influence,” and because of their similarity in pronunciation are sometimes confused in writing. As a verb
affect1 means “to act on” or “to move” (
His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept );
affect2 means “to pretend” or “to assume” (
new students affecting a nonchalance they didn't feel ). The verb
effect means “to bring about, accomplish”:
Her administration effected radical changes. The noun
effect means “result, consequence”:
the serious effects of the oil spill. The noun
affect1 pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, is a technical term in psychology and psychiatry.
Affect2 is not used as a noun.
OTHER WORDS FROM affect
af·fect·a·ble, adjective af·fect·a·bil·i·ty, nounWords nearby affect
British Dictionary definitions for affectability (1 of 2)
affect
1
verb (əˈfɛkt) (tr)
to act upon or influence, esp in an adverse way
damp affected the sparking plugs
to move or disturb emotionally or mentally
her death affected him greatly
(of pain, disease, etc) to attack
noun (ˈæfɛkt, əˈfɛkt)
Word Origin for affect
C17: from Latin
affectus, past participle of
afficere to act upon, from
ad- to +
facere to do
British Dictionary definitions for affectability (2 of 2)
affect
2
/ (əˈfɛkt) /
verb (mainly tr)
to put on an appearance or show of; make a pretence of
to affect ignorance
to imitate or assume, esp pretentiously
to affect an accent
to have or use by preference
she always affects funereal clothing
to adopt the character, manner, etc, of
he was always affecting the politician
(of plants or animals) to live or grow in
penguins affect an arctic climate
to incline naturally or habitually towards
falling drops of liquid affect roundness
Word Origin for affect
C15: from Latin
affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to
afficere to
affect
1
Medical definitions for affectability
affect
[ ə-fĕkt′ ]
v.
To have an influence on or affect a change in.
To attack or infect, as a disease.
n.
Feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language.