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affect

uh-FEKT /əˈfɛkt/

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formalacademicneutral

To act upon or produce a change in something; (in psychology) an expressed emotion or mood state.

As a verb, 'affect' almost always means to influence or alter something external. As a rare noun in psychology, it refers to observable emotional response.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'afficere', combined from 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'facere' (to make or do). It literally meant 'to do something to someone', evolving into English to mean influencing or acting upon a person or object.

Word relationships

influence: Influence often implies a subtle or gradual shaping, whereas affect can denote direct alterative impact.
alter: Alter focuses specifically on change in state, while affect highlights the act of touching or acting upon.

leave unchanged: Denotes producing no alteration whatsoever.

Commonly confused with

effect: Affect is usually an Action (verb), while Effect is usually an End-result (noun).

Word family

affection (noun): A gentle feeling of fondness.
affective (adjective): Relating to moods, feelings, and attitudes.

Collocations

adversely affect
directly affect
profoundly affect
flat affect

Example sentences

"Rising ocean temperatures adversely affect marine ecosystems across the globe." Environmental impact
"The patient presented with a flat affect, displaying little emotional variation during the interview." Psychology

Memory hook

Remember RAVEN: Remember Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun. A is for Action (Affect is the action verb).

When not to use

Do not use 'affect' when you mean a noun outcome or result; use 'effect' instead.

Fun facts

In psychology, 'affect' is pronounced with stress on the first syllable (AF-ekt) and means facial or emotional expression.

Related words

effect, affective, affection

Explore more words

make a difference, Interact, affirm, make an impression, transform, reframe