Not influenced, changed, or emotionally moved by something; remaining natural and genuine without pretense.
From Middle English, combining the prefix 'un-' (not) with 'affected' from Latin 'affectus' (influenced, moved). The sense evolved from 'not influenced' in the 15th century to include 'genuine, without artificiality' by the 17th century.
This word beautifully captures two distinct qualities: emotional resilience and authenticity. While someone might be unaffected by criticism (unmoved), they might also be unaffected in their manner (natural and unpretentious), showing how the same word can describe both strength and genuineness.
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