- The definition of affect means to produce a change in something.
An example of affect is severe weather conditions drowning a vast number of crops on a farm.
- 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: Middle English affecten ; from Classical Latin affectare, to strive after ; from affectus, past participle of afficere, to influence, attack ; from ad-, to plush facere, do
- Obsolete a disposition or tendency
Origin: Ger affekt < L affectus, state of mind or body: see affectthe
Psychol.- an emotion or feeling attached to an idea, object, etc.
- in general, emotion or emotional response
Related Forms:
- affectable adjective
- 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: Middle English affecten ; from Old French affecter ; from Classical Latin affectare, affect
Related Forms:
- affectable adjective
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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.
- 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: Middle English affecten, from Latin afficere, affect-, to do to, act on : ad-, ad- + 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: Middle English affecten, from Latin affectāre, to strive after, frequentative of afficere, affect-, to affect, influence; see affect1.
Related Forms:
- af·fectˈer noun
affect - Medical Definition
verb
- To have an influence on or affect a change in.
- To attack or infect, as a disease.