What does "affect" mean?
A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs.
Usage Contextacademicbusiness
Note: Often confused with "effect".
Affect
/əˈfɛkt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs.
- Grammar: affect is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: academic personal interest, act, act a part, act like.
- Useful contrasts: unaffecting, apathy, bore.
- Usage evidence: Does the amount of rain affect the growth of crops?
How to use "affect"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "affect" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "affect" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "affect" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "affect" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "affect" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "academic personal interest" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "affect", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs.
"if we are afraid of robbers in a dream, the robbers are certainly imaginary, but the fear is real. This draws our attention to the fact that the development of affects [translating Affectentwicklung] in dreams is not amenable to the judgement we make of the rest of the dream-content [...]."
- 2 the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion wordnet
- 3 One's mood or inclination; mental state. obsolete
- 4 A desire, an appetite. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To influence or alter. transitive
"The experience affected me deeply."
- 2 To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume. To make a false display of. transitive
"to affect ignorance"
- 3 act physically on; have an effect upon wordnet
- 4 To move to emotion. transitive
"He was deeply affected by the tragic ending of the play."
- 5 To aim for, to try to obtain. obsolete, transitive
"Duke.[...] I loue the people, But doe not like to stage me to their eyes: Though it doe well, I doe not rellish well Their lowd applause, and Aues vehement: Nor doe I thinke the man of safe discretion That do's affect it."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 have an effect upon wordnet
- 7 Of an illness or condition, to infect or harm (a part of the body). transitive
"Hepatitis affects the liver."
- 8 To feel affection for (someone); to like, be fond of. rare, transitive
"There is a Lady in Verona heere Whom I affect: but she is nice, and coy, And naught esteemes my aged eloquence."
- 9 make believe with the intent to deceive wordnet
- 10 To dispose or incline. archaic, transitive
"men whom they thought best affected to religion and their country's liberty"
- 11 To show a fondness for (something); to choose. obsolete, transitive
"Amongst humane conditions this one is very common, that we are rather pleased with strange things then with our owne; we love changes, affect alterations, and like innovations."
- 12 have an emotional or cognitive impact upon wordnet
- 13 To tend to by affinity or disposition. archaic, transitive
"The drops of every fluid affect a round figure."
- 14 connect closely and often incriminatingly wordnet
- 15 To assign; to appoint. archaic, transitive
"One of the domestics was affected to his special service."
- 16 To burden (property) with a fixed charge or payment, or other condition or restriction. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Does the amount of rain affect the growth of crops?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "affect"?
Common synonyms include: academic personal interest, act, act a part, act like, act on, act upon.
How do you use "affect" in a sentence?
Does the amount of rain affect the growth of crops?
How do you pronounce "affect"?
Pronounced /əˈfɛkt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English affecten, from Latin affectāre, from Latin affectus, the participle stem of Latin afficere (“to act upon, influence, affect, attack with disease”), from ad- + facere (“to make, do”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English affecten, 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).
Etymology 3
From 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”).