affect

Affect is part of the Academic Word List. It is important for students in college and university.

Pronunciation

• enPR: əfĕkt'
• IPA: /ə'fɛkt/
• SAMPA: /@"fEkt/
•  Audio (UK)^{help, file}

Homophones

• effect

Verb

Plain form affect

Third-person singular affects

Past tense affected

Past participle affected

Present participle affecting

1. (transitive) If $x$ affects $y$, then $x$ causes a change in $y$.

   The movement of the soccer ball was affected by the wind.

   Sigmund Freud's ideas were affected by the writings of Frederick Nietzsche.

   How do you think the new government will affect the economy?

2. (transitive) If you affect a way of speaking, walking, dressing, etc., you pretend that it is your normal way, often to impress people.

   "No, ma'm," Robert said, affecting a southern accent.

Synonyms

• move
• change

Related words

• affectation
• affection
• affected
• unaffected

Noun

Singular affect

Plural affects

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