Artificial behavior or speech designed to impress others; a pretentious display of manner or feeling that is not genuine.
From Latin 'affectare' meaning 'to strive after' or 'to pretend.' The word evolved through French into English in the 16th century, originally meaning simply 'a striving for' but gradually acquiring its negative connotation of artificial pretense.
Think of someone 'affecting' a British accent to sound sophisticated—they're putting on an affectation! The key insight is that affectations are always artificial attempts to create an impression, like wearing a mask of personality.
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