1 affectation | Definition of affectation
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affectation

noun
af·​fec·​ta·​tion | \ ˌa-ˌfek-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce affectation (audio) \

Definition of affectation

1a : speech or conduct not natural to oneself : an unnatural form of behavior meant especially to impress others His French accent is just an affectation.
b : the act of taking on or displaying an attitude or mode of behavior not natural to oneself or not genuinely felt speaking honestly without affectation mocked his piety as affectation
2 obsolete : a striving after
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Affectation and Affection More Example Sentences Learn More about affectation

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Choose the Right Synonym for affectation

pose, air, airs, affectation, mannerism mean an adopted way of speaking or behaving. pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others. her shyness was just a pose air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life. a traveler's sophisticated air airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness. snobbish airs affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere. the posh accent is an affectation mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit. gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

Affectation and Affection

Affectation looks a lot like a much more common word, affection. But the two are used very differently.

The more familiar word, affection, in modern use means "a feeling of liking and caring for someone or something," as in "They show their dog a lot of affection."

Affectation, on the other hand, refers to a form of behavior that's unnatural to the person engaging in it, and that is meant to impress other people. A phony accent someone uses to sound more sophisticated, for example, can be considered an affectation, as can pretending to know all about some obscure band in order to seem cool.

The words don't have much in common in their use, but their similarity in appearance is not coincidence. Both have to do with one of the trickiest words in the language: affect.

Affect is one of the most frequently looked-up words in the dictionary, primarily because of its regular confusion with effect. The short rationale that you often hear when it comes to distinguishing the two is that effect is usually a noun and affect is a verb. The breakdown isn't all that simple, however, and what makes things even more confusing is that there are two verb entries for affect.

One affect entry is for the sense meaning "to produce an effect upon (someone)" or "to act upon (a person, a person's mind or feelings, etc.) so as to effect a response." This is the sense that connects to affection, as in "We were affected by the young woman's heartfelt speech." Being affected by something in this way doesn't necessarily result in affection, but it can.

The other verb affect is defined as "to make a display of liking or using : cultivate" or "to put a pretense on : feign." It is used when talking about things like styles or mannerisms, as in "He affected a British accent and tweedy look after reading nothing but Sherlock Holmes stories for months on end."

The two verbs affect took different etymological paths from the same origin. The "put on a pretense" sense of affect derives via Middle English and Anglo-French from the Latin affectāre, meaning "to try to accomplish, strive after, pretend to have." Affectāre is a derivative of afficere, which means "to produce an effect on, exert an influence on"; the affect related to affection is from a variant of afficere.

Examples of affectation in a Sentence

His French accent is just an affectation. a woman of great affectation at social gatherings

Recent Examples on the Web

 Among Democratic operatives in Washington, Harrison’s Senate race is also inspiring more affectation than gung-ho support. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "Lindsey Graham’s “Achilles Heel”," 9 July 2019 Despite the conspicuous presence of a tour publicist who took the unusual step of taping the conversation, Linda, 48, spoke with unmistakable warmth, candor and a refreshing lack of pretense or affectation. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "From the Archives: Revisit our 1989 Linda McCartney interview: ‘I do what I want to do.’," 21 June 2019 These little affectations only add to the overall equipoise, in the same way that a completely bare waiting room is eerie but a waiting room with a ficus evokes no feelings at all. — Sasha Chapin, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Airport Layovers," 29 May 2018 Consumed by her nagging, overbearing affectations, the Jewish mother was to blame for the persistent woes of the Jewish American male — his anxiety, his neuroticism, his own assimilation failures. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox, "How the JAP became America’s most complex Jewish stereotype.," 5 Dec. 2018 The actors are deft at striking the right balance of affectation and affection. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "What to Watch on Netflix in October, According to Our Editors," 1 Oct. 2018 The clones may share the same face, but the range of personalities, affectations, and demeanors Maslany brought to them were what earned the show its niche army of fans — even if the Television Academy didn't see it. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Sandra Oh Just Made History For Killing Eve, But The Emmys Forgot One Thing," 12 July 2018 The affectation becomes a symbol of conformity, and worse, a betrayal of self. — Aisha Harris, New York Times, "When Black Performers Use Their ‘White Voice’," 10 July 2018 His nasal affectation echoes that of his musical hero, Bob Dylan. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At PEM, T.C. Cannon’s paintings exult and reproach," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affectation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of affectation

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

History and Etymology for affectation

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French affectation, borrowed from Latin affectātiƍn-, affectātiƍ "striving after, strained manner (in rhetoric)," from affectāre "to strive after, try to accomplish, pretend to have" + -tiƍn-, -tiƍ, suffix of action nouns — more at affect entry 3

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More from Merriam-Webster on affectation

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with affectation

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for affectation

Spanish Central: Translation of affectation

Nglish: Translation of affectation for Spanish Speakers

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