French word

affect

Pronunciation

IPA/afɛkt/

Meaning

  • masculine nounemotion

Example

Après la nouvelle, son affect a changé visiblement.

After the news, his emotions visibly changed.

Illustration for affect (emotion)

More examples

Sa voix trahissait son affect malgré son sourire.

His voice betrayed his affect despite his smile.

Core concept

A feeling within a person that shapes facial expression and behavior.

Similar words

émotion: A brief, intense feeling such as joy, sorrow, or surprise.
sentiment: A relatively lasting feeling shaped by thoughts or experience.
humeur: A temporary state of feeling or temperament lasting hours or days.
affection: A warm feeling of fondness or love toward someone.

Definition in French

État émotionnel ressenti ou exprimé, momentané ou persistant, qui influence le comportement et l'expression.

Word origin

French affect comes from Latin affectus, from afficere meaning "to influence," and denotes a state shaped by what affects the mind.

Usage tips

  • Affect is a masculine noun, usually un affect, and its technical register makes émotion or sentiment more natural in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • affectnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word