affectation

WOTD – 9 February 2008    

English

Etymology

First attested in 1548. From Latin affectātiōnem (possibly via French affectation), from affectō (“I feign”).

Pronunciation

• (RP, US) IPA: /ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

affectation (plural affectations)

1. An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.

   • 1810, Dr. Samuel Johnson, “Life of Gower”, in The Works of the English Poets^[1], edition Digitized, published 2009:

     This poem is strongly tinctured with those pedantic affectations concerning the passion of love ...

2. An unusual mannerism.

Synonyms

• (unusual mannerism): eccentricity, mannerism

Related terms

• affect
• affectatious
• affecter
• affective
• affection
• affectionate

Translations

an attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real

• Bulgarian: преструване (bg) n (prestruvane)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 假裝 (cmn), 假装 (cmn) (jiǎzhuāng)

• French: affectation (fr) f
• Japanese: 気取り (ja) (きどり, kidori)

• Portuguese: afetação (pt) f
• Russian: неестественность (ru) (nejestéstvennostʹ) f , притворство (ru) (pritvórstvo) n 
• Spanish: afectación (es) f

an unusual mannerism

• Bulgarian: превземане (bg) n (prevzemane)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 做作 (cmn) (zuòzuò)

• French: affectation (fr) f

• Portuguese: afetação (pt) f
• Russian: манерность (ru) (manérnostʹ) f , неестественность (ru) (nejestéstvennostʹ) f