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Synonyms

unaffected

1 American  
[uhn-uh-fek-tid] / ˌʌn əˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

  1. free from affectation; sincere; genuine.

    The man showed unaffected grief at the death of his former opponent.

    Synonyms:
    guileless, naive, artless, unfeigned, real, honest, simple, natural, plain
  2. unpretentious, as a personality or literary style.


unaffected 2 American  
[uhn-uh-fek-tid] / ˌʌn əˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

  1. not affected, acted upon, or influenced; unchanged; unaltered.

    The laboratory clock remained accurate, unaffected by the explosion.

    Synonyms:
    unstirred, untouched, unmoved

unaffected 1 British  
/ ˌʌnəˈfɛktɪd /

adjective

  1. unpretentious, natural, or sincere

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

unaffected 2 British  
/ ˌʌnəˈfɛktɪd /

adjective

  1. not affected

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of unaffected1

First recorded in 1580–90; un- 1 + affected 2

Origin of unaffected2

First recorded in 1580–90; un- 1 + affected 1

Explanation

When bad weather or a mean aunt or some other force takes over and you still don't change, you're unaffected. If your party was unaffected by the rain and Aunt Emma's no-fun attitude, then everyone probably had a good time. Unaffected has other meanings, too. It can mean natural and genuine, or unemotional. If someone says you're unaffected they could mean you're genuine; you don't put on an act for people. Saying you were unaffected by your favorite team's loss means you weren't upset by it.

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Vocabulary lists containing unaffected

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unaffected by the police officers’ scowls, she leaned over the tape to scrutinize the package on the ground.

From Slate • Dec. 24, 2022

Unaffected customers will see a banner on their T-Mobile online account page letting them know their data was not exposed.

From Washington Times • Aug. 27, 2021

Unaffected, infectious, quick-witted and authentic; the rest of the contestants adored him, and the public soon fell in love with him too.

From The Guardian • Dec. 16, 2012

Unaffected, and casual in a T-shirt and jeans, he politely declined to say how personal experience might have helped to shape his portrayal of Alberich.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2012

Unaffected, un-af-fekt′ed, adj. not affected or moved: without affectation: not affected or artificial: plain: real: sincere.—adv.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

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