affection

¹

[ uh-fek-shuhn ]

noun

1. fond attachment, devotion, or love:

   the affection of a parent for an only child.

   Synonyms: friendliness, friendship, fondness, amity, liking

   Antonyms: dislike

2. Often affections.
   1. emotion; feeling; sentiment:

      over and above our reason and affections.

   2. the emotional realm of love:

      a place in his affections.

3. Pathology. a disease, or the condition of being diseased; abnormal state of body or mind:

   a gouty affection.

4. the act of affecting; act of influencing or acting upon.
5. the state of being affected.
6. Philosophy. a contingent, alterable, and accidental state or quality of being.
7. the affective aspect of a mental process.
8. bent or disposition of mind.
9. Obsolete. bias; prejudice.

affection

²

[ uh-fek-shuhn ]

noun

, Obsolete.

1. affectation ( defs 1, 2, 3 ).

affection

/ əˈfɛkʃən /

noun

1. a feeling of fondness or tenderness for a person or thing; attachment
2. often plural emotion, feeling, or sentiment

   to play on a person's affections

3. pathol any disease or pathological condition
4. See affect
   psychol any form of mental functioning that involves emotion See also affect 1
5. the act of affecting or the state of being affected
6. archaic.
   inclination or disposition

Derived Forms

• afˈfectional, adjective

Other Words From

• af·fection·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of affection¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin affectiōn- (stem of affectiō ) “disposition or state of mind or body”; affect ¹, -ion

Origin of affection²

First recorded in 1525–35; affect ² + -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of affection¹

C13: from Latin affectiōn- disposition, from afficere to affect ¹

Example Sentences

Her content on TikTok, which runs the gamut from glamour shots to poking fun at Gambian norms around public displays of affection to mocking the country’s leaders, regularly gets thousands of views.

From Ozy

If you have a family member who is insistent on some kind of squeeze, check out this guide to the safest ways of showing physical affection.

From Popular-Science

Thor and Unnur, who we don’t hear from much at all, don’t have to say much for the audience to see the deep level of trust and affection the two share.

From Outside Online

That region has been voting against Democrats for years, and it has been fertile territory for movements like Timber Unity, an anti-environmentalist group that has opposed the liberal government in Salem — and shown mutual affection with Skarlatos.

From Washington Post

Today, although Uruguay has one of the older populations in South America, we think it’s necessary for the elderly to have affection and to have talks in patios or gardens, in the open air.

From MIT Technology Review

And who better to do that with than the actress who is playing the object of said (alleged) lesbian affection in the flick?

From The Daily Beast

Needless to say, Juxiao was thrilled to see them and gave each of them a lot of love and affection.

From The Daily Beast

The new way to show your love and affection for your bestie is with a fashionable Little Scocha friendship bracelet.

From The Daily Beast

The archaeologists I met talked about Indiana Jones with real affection.

From The Daily Beast

Judging by the pictures of President Truong Tan Sang and Obama, Vietnam is showing some affection back.

From The Daily Beast

The same outpourings of affection are seen in the dealings of children with their toy babies and animals.

From Project Gutenberg

In the close relation and affection of these last days, the sense of alienation and antagonism faded from both their hearts.

From Project Gutenberg

She was not accustomed to an outward and spoken expression of affection, either in herself or in others.

From Project Gutenberg

Pitch corresponds to the range of the voice, and expresses affection or attraction.

From Project Gutenberg

Isaacson thought what the world would say, and suddenly he knew the reality of his affection for Nigel.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• care
• closeness
• desire
• devotion
• emotion
• feeling
• friendship
• good will
• kindness
• love
• passion
• sentiment
• tenderness
• warmth

When To Use

What are other ways to say affection?

Affection refers to fond attachment, as of one person to another. How is affection different from love and devotion? Find out on Thesaurus.com.