Affect Definition

ə-fĕkt
affected, affecting, affects
verb
affected, affecting, affects
To have an influence on or effect a change in.
Inflation affects the buying power of the dollar.
American Heritage
To have an effect on; influence; produce a change in.
Bright light affects the eyes.
Webster's New World
To act on the emotions of; touch or move.
American Heritage
To move or stir the emotions of.
His death affected us deeply.
Webster's New World
To attack or infect, as a disease.
Rheumatic fever can affect the heart.
American Heritage
noun
affects
A disposition or tendency.
Webster's New World
A disposition, feeling, or tendency.
American Heritage
An emotion or feeling attached to an idea, object, etc.
Webster's New World
In general, emotion or emotional response.
Webster's New World
Feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language.
American Heritage Medicine

Other Word Forms of Affect

Noun

Singular:
affect
Plural:
affects

Origin of Affect

  • From Anglo-Norman affecter (“strive after”), Middle French affecter (“feign”), and their source, Latin affectāre (“to strive after, aim to do, pursue, imitate with dissimulation, feign”), frequentative of afficere (“to act upon, influence”) (see Etymology 1, above).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle French affecter, French affecter, and its source, the participle stem of Latin afficere (“to act upon, influence, affect, attack with disease”), from ad- + facere (“to make, do”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English affect, from Latin affectus, adfectus (“a state of mind or body produced by some (external) influence, especially sympathy or love”), from afficere (“to act upon, influence”)

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English affecten from Latin affectāre to strive after frequentative of afficere affect- to affect, influence affect1

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English affecten from Latin afficere affect- to do to, act on ad- ad- facere to do dhē- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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