affect
/əˈfɛkt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.59 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To burden (property) with a fixed charge or payment, or other condition or restriction.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "The experience affected me deeply."
- "The heat of the sunlight affected the speed of the chemical reaction."
- "The climate affected their health and spirits."
- "Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control."
- "He was deeply affected by the tragic ending of the play."
- "A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles."
Etymology
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”). By surface analysis, af- + Latin -fect.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈfɛkt/
- British English: /əˈfɛkt/
Usage
Inflected Forms
affects (present, singular)
affecting (participle, present)
affected (participle, past)
affected (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
affected (first person, past)
affectest (archaic, present)
affected (past, second person)
affectedst (archaic, past)
affecteth (archaic, present)
affected (past, singular)