affection

/əˈfɛk.ʃən/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: affections

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The act of affecting or acting upon.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “affection” mean?

The act of affecting or acting upon.

Is “affection” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.