affectation

American  

[af-ek-tey-shuhn] / ˌæf ɛkˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an effort to appear to have a quality not really or fully possessed; the pretense of actual possession.

   an affectation of interest in art; affectation of great wealth.

2. conspicuous artificiality of manner or appearance; effort to attract notice by pretense, assumption, or any assumed peculiarity.

   Synonyms:

   airs, pretension, simulation, pretense, pose, facade, appearance

   Antonyms:

   sincerity, simplicity

3. a trait, action, or expression characterized by such artificiality.

   a man of a thousand affectations.

4. Obsolete.

   1. strenuous pursuit, desire, or aspiration.

   2. affection; fondness.

      his affectation of literature.

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affectation British  

/ ˌæfɛkˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an assumed manner of speech, dress, or behaviour, esp one that is intended to impress others

2. (often foll by of) deliberate pretence or false display

   affectation of nobility

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Other Word Forms

• nonaffectation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of affectation

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin affectātiōn- (stem of affectātiō ) “a striving after,” equivalent to affectāt(us), past participle of affectāre “to strive after, feign” + -iōn- a suffix forming nouns; see affect ², -ate ¹, -ion

Explanation

The guy at your local coffee shop who's never left the state but speaks as though he's lived in London all his life? His British accent is an affectation. Never confuse affectation with affection — which means “love” or “tenderness.” While affection might not always be genuine, affectation is never the real thing. In fact, affectation is all about faking it. Do you believe the politician cares about poor people, or do you think his concern is an affectation?

Example Sentences

The Hepburn surname was an affectation of her father’s, which she later adopted.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

In the heat-soaked world of Marty Hart and Rust Cohle, creepiness was an affectation — part misdirecting figment, part metaphor.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2024

With no affectation whatsoever, and a voice directly wired to her emotions, she makes Lucille our way into a story we might rather turn away from.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2023

Some said that what we saw as a lack of intelligence was in fact a regional affectation: Walker speaks the way many Black people in Georgia speak.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2022

And there was Robbie, who exasperated her with his affectation of distance, and his grand plans which he would only discuss with her father.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan