a feeling of fondness or tenderness for a person or thing; attachment - (often plural)
emotion, feeling, or sentiment: to play on a person's affections any disease or pathological condition any form of mental functioning that involves emotion
See alsoaffect 1 2 the act of affecting or the state of being affected
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
af•fec•tion1 /əˈfɛkʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- fond attachment, devotion, or love: [uncountable]a look of pure affection.[countable]You are ever in my affections.
af•fec•tion1
(ə fek′shən),USA pronunciation n.
af•fec′tion•less, adj.
af•fec•tion2 (ə fek′shən),USA pronunciation n. [Obs.]
- fond attachment, devotion, or love:the affection of a parent for an only child.
- Often, affections.
- emotion;
feeling;
sentiment:over and above our reason and affections. - the emotional realm of love:a place in his affections.
- emotion;
- [Pathol.]a disease, or the condition of being diseased;
abnormal state of body or mind:a gouty affection. - the act of affecting;
act of influencing or acting upon. - the state of being affected.
- Philosophya contingent, alterable, and accidental state or quality of being.
- the affective aspect of a mental process.
- bent or disposition of mind.
- [Obs.]bias;
prejudice.
- Latin affectiōn- (stem of affectiō) disposition or state of mind or body; see affect1, -ion
- Old French
- Middle English 1200–50
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged liking, friendliness, amity, fondness, friendship. See love.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged dislike.
af•fec•tion2 (ə fek′shən),USA pronunciation n. [Obs.]
- affectation (defs. 1–3).
- affect2 + -ion 1525–35
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