affection
/əˈfɛk.ʃən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.92 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The state of being affected, especially: a change in, or alteration of, the emotional state of a person or other animal, caused by a subjective affect (a subjective feeling or emotion), which arises in response to a stimulus which may result from either thought or perception.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An emotion; a feeling or natural impulse acting upon and swaying the mind.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A feeling of love or strong attachment; a feeling of enjoyable and comforting fondness.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "A Porism is a proposition in which it is proposed to demonstrate that some one thing, or more things than one, are given, to which, as also to each of innumerable other things, not given indeed, but which have the same relation to those which are given, it is to be shewn that there belongs some common affection described in the proposition."
- "Our affections for wild animals are distributed very unevenly. Take insects."
- "It is known that each individual has a variety of affections, one affection when in joy, another when in grief, another when in sympathy and compassion, another when in sincerity and truth, another when in love and charity, another when in zeal or in anger, another when in simulation and deceit, another when in quest of honor and glory, and so on."
- "I have a lot of affection for my little sister."
- "The marriage therapist suggested they show each other more affection."
- "Mr. Bennet missed his second daughter exceedingly; his affection for her drew him oftener from home than anything else could do. He delighted in going to Pemberley, especially when he was least expected."
Etymology
From Middle English affection, affeccion, affeccioun, from Old French affection, from Latin affectiōnem, from affectiō; equivalent to affect + -ion.