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Added 9 October 2026

affectation

/ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun

Latin root: affectātiōnem Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about affectation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
An unusual mannerism.
An ostentatious fondness for something.

Origin

From Middle French affectation and its etymon Latin affectātiōnem, from affectō (“to feign”). By surface analysis, affect + -ation.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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