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affect

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The definition of affect means to produce a change in something.

(verb)

An example of affect is severe weather conditions drowning a vast number of crops on a farm.

See affect in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

to have an effect on; influence; produce a change in: bright light affects the eyes
to move or stir the emotions of: his death affected us deeply

Origin: ME affecten < L affectare, to strive after < affectus, pp. of afficere, to influence, attack < ad-, to + facere, do

noun

Obsolete a disposition or tendency
Origin: Ger affekt < L affectus, state of mind or body: see affectthe
Psychol.
1. an emotion or feeling attached to an idea, object, etc.
2. in general, emotion or emotional response

Related Forms:

affectable adjective

transitive verb

to like to have, use, wear, be in, etc.: she affects plaid coats
to make a pretense of being, having, feeling, liking, etc.; feign: to affect indifference
Archaic to aim at; seek

Origin: ME affecten < OFr affecter < L affectare, affect

Related Forms:

affectable adjective

See affect in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb af·fect·ed, af·fect·ing, af·fects

To have an influence on or effect a change in: Inflation affects the buying power of the dollar.
To act on the emotions of; touch or move.
To attack or infect, as a disease: Rheumatic fever can affect the heart.

noun (ăfˈĕktˌ)

Feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language: “The soldiers seen on television had been carefully chosen for blandness of affect” (Norman Mailer).
Obsolete A disposition, feeling, or tendency.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English affecten

Origin: , from Latin afficere, affect-, to do to, act on

Origin: : ad-, ad-

Origin: + facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots

Usage Note: Affect and effect have no senses in common. As a verb affect is most commonly used in the sense of “to influence” (how smoking affects health). Effect means “to bring about or execute”: layoffs designed to effect savings. Thus the sentence These measures may affect savings could imply that the measures may reduce savings that have already been realized, whereas These measures may effect savings implies that the measures will cause new savings to come about.

transitive verb af·fect·ed, af·fect·ing, af·fects

To put on a false show of; simulate: affected a British accent.
a. To have or show a liking for: affects dramatic clothes.
b. Archaic To fancy; love.
To tend to by nature; tend to assume: a substance that affects crystalline form.
To imitate; copy: “Spenser, in affecting the ancients, writ no language” (Ben Jonson).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English affecten

Origin: , from Latin affectāre, to strive after

Origin: , frequentative of afficere, affect-, to affect, influence; see affect¹

Related Forms: