[a. Fr. affecte-r (15th c.), ad. L. affectā-re to aim at, aspire to, endeavor to have, pretend to have; freq. of afficĕre (f. ad to + facere to do) to put to, hence refl. (se facere ad) to put or apply oneself to, to aim at. See also AFFECT v.2]
† 1. trans. To aim at, aspire to, or make for; to seek to obtain or attain. a. a thing. Obs.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 263/1. Roch affectyng no mortal glorye hyd his lignage.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 104. Have I affected wealth, or honour?
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. vii. § 27 (1873). Cæsar did extremely affect the name of king.
1615. Sandys, Trav., 105. Elated with these beginnings, he affected the empire of the world.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. 192. He with more earnestness refused a Bishoprick, then others affected it.
1675. T. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. 1867, V. 21. Gracious hearts affect that which they cannot effect.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1816), II. 200. Was beheaded on Tower hill for affecting the kingdom.
1725. Pope, Odyssey, XI. 386. The Gods they challenge, and affect the skies.
1794. Paley, Nat. Theol., xxiii. 390. How should the blind animal affect sight, of which blind animals … have neither conception nor desire?
† b. to do a thing.
1589. Bernard, Terence, Ded. I have affected to make knowne the good will I doe … beare to you.
1611. Bible, Ecclus. xiii. 11. Affect not to be made equall vnto him in talke.
1776. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 22. He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to the civil power.
2. To be drawn to, have affection or liking for; to take to be fond of, show preference for; to fancy, like or love. a. a person. arch. or ? Obs.
a. 1550[?]. Robin Hood, in E. E. P. Rom. (1858), II. 91. He, whom he most affected … was called little John.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 43. Their favourers and lovers, which did affect and entertain them.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 28. Maria once told me, she did affect me.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 39. Alwaies soure and cruell, so that Souldiers affected him as children doe their Schoolemaster.
1627. Feltham, Resolves, I. xvi. Wks. 1677, 28. It learns him in his patience, to affect his Enemies.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 223. Those that affect me shall be sure not to lose their love.
1690. W. Walker, Idiom. Ang-Lat., 13. I do not affect you, non amo te.
1760. Sterne, Tr. Shandy (1802), VIII. xxxiv. 192. All the world knows that Mrs. Wadman affects my brother Toby.
b. a thing. arch.
1593. Drayton, Eclogues, v. 45. Nor things so base doe I affect at all.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, I. xv. (1840), 25. Who never cordially affected this war.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., i. 71. Persons … who doe passionately affect Episcopacie.
1720. Shadwell, Timon, I. II. 302. No man can justly praise But what he does affect.
1735. Pope, Donne Sat., II. 76. Takes God to witness he affects your cause.
1875. F. I. Scudamore, Day Dreams, 5. Nor do I greatly affect the early thrush.
c. a thing touching one’s own practice: To like to practise, use, wear or frequent.
1589. Nashe, Alm. for Parrat, 15 a. As in garments so in gouernment continually affecting new fashions.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., IV. xiv. 319. She much affected rich and costly apparell.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 373. The Turkes without scruple affect the name of Mahomet.
1660. T. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 85/2. Socrates little affected Travel, his Life being wholly spent at home.
1665. Wither, Lords Pr., Pref. They who superstitiously affect this Form of Prayer.
1704. Hearne, Duct. Histor. (1714), I. 416. Dionysius affected Plato’s Conversation.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 75. 142. The little Genius affects Wiles.
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 126. That peculiar costume which he affected.
1862. Lond. Rev., 23 Aug., 168. He affected the back Ministerial benches.
d. to do a thing. ? Obs.
1660. T. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 28/2. I affect above all things to live under a Democracy.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria (1729), 180. Some affect to have it fry’d a little broun and crisp.
1751. Jortin, Serm. (1771), V. viii. 172. The greatest monarchs have affected to be called Father of their country.
† e. absol. To incline or like. Obs.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., I. iii. 71. I go from hence Thy Souldier, Seruant, making Peace or Warre, As thou affects.
1643–5. in Sel. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 301. His malady increased or diminished as he [his man] affected.
3. Of animals and plants: To frequent naturally or habitually, to haunt, to inhabit.
1616. Surflet & Markh., Country Farme, 285. Iuniper affecteth the tops of mountaines.
1793. G. White, Nat. Hist. Selb., xviii. (1853), 210. Here and there a bird may affect some odd peculiar place.
1849. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sc., § 27. 305. Groups of algæ … affect particular temperatures or zones of latitude.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 1076. Tessellated pavement,—equally Affected by the scorpion for its nest.
4. Of things: To have or display a natural tendency toward, to tend to assume or put on.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olbion, v. notes 80. Their tongues did naturallie affect … the British Dialect.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., III. 158. A contrary posture to that which it naturally affects.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., Wks. 1842, I. 57. Any body … affecting some regular shape.
1850. C. Daubeny, Atomic Th., viii. (ed. 2), 269. Why the same body should sometimes affect one crystalline form, and sometimes another?
5. To show ostentatiously a liking for; to make an ostentatious use or display of; to take upon oneself artificially or for effect, to assume.
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. ii. 10. Who hauing beene prais’d for bluntnesse, doth affect A saucy roughnes.
1663. Butler, Hudibr., I. i. 94. A Babylonish Dialect, which learned Pedants much affect.
1715. Burnet, Hist. own Time (1766), I. 17. He affected the grandeur of a regal court.
1735. Pope, Hor. Ep., II. i. 97. Spenser himself affects the obsolete.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., II. xxxiv. 283. He at first affected a stern and haughty demeanour.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 781. They affected the appellation of patriots.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 135. To affect the character of loyal men.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. xiv. 250. I am not botanist enough to affect any judgment on the subject.
b. To assume the character of (a person).
1595. Shaks., John, I. i. 86. The accent of his tongue affecteth him.
a. 1616. B. Jonson, Discov. (T.). Spenser, in affecting the ancients, writ no language.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, etc., 27. Her Sire, affecting now the tender Man.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., II. VI. viii. 217. He affected the freethinker, and carried libertinism to excess.
c. with inf.: To ‘profess,’ take upon one.
1720. Waterland, Serm., 56. Some of late have affected very much to say that all things were created through the Son.
1724. De Foe, etc., Tour thr. Gt. Brit. (1769), IV. 273. The Lochs … which some affect to call the River Aber.
1853. Maurice, Proph. & Kings, viii. 123. He affected to restore the idolatry which Aaron had sanctioned in the wilderness.
1856. Kane, Arctic Expl., I. xxviii. 363. Every one who affects to register the story of an active life.
Hence, by imperceptible gradations.
6. To put on a pretence of; to assume a false appearance of, to counterfeit or pretend.
1661. Barrow, Serm., I. i. 4. He affects commendations incompetent to him.
1723. J. Sheffield (D. of Buckhm.), Wks. (1753), I. 290. Who … would soon have shewn A real rage, which now he but affected.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, V. xvi. 209. Each look and accent, framed to please, Seemed to affect a playful ease.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, I. viii. (1871), 40. He had ever affected a haughty indifference on the subject.
b. with inf. (or gerund).
1603. Daniel, Defence Rhime, 13 (1717), 12. We smooth up a weak confused Sense, affecting Sound to be unsound.
1679. Sheffield & Dryden, Ess. on Sat., 70. How that affects to laugh, how this to weep.
1753. Smollett, Ct. Fathom (1784), 138/1. Although Fathom looked upon this proposal as an extravagant symptom of despair, he affected to approve of the scheme.
1816. Scott, Antiq. (1879), II. xxv. 52. He tired, or affected to tire.
1848. Dickens, Dombey (C.D. ed.), 33. “Oh you beauties!” cried Susan Nipper, affecting to salute the door by which the two ladies had departed.
1879. M. Arnold, Irish Cath., in Mixed Ess., 100. I have never affected to be surprised … at the antipathy of the Irish to us.
† 7. absol. To assume artificial or pretended manners; to put on airs. Obs. rare.
1631. Cornwallyes, Ess., xxiii. Affectation begets Extremities: Man is allowed onely the middle way, he strayeth when he affects.
1692. Lady Russell, Lett., 21 July. I take some care not to affect in these retirements.
