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affect1

Pronunciation: /əˈfɛkt/
Translate affect | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of affect

verb

[with object]
  • have an effect on; make a difference to:the dampness began to affect my health [with clause]:your attitude will affect how successful you are
  • touch the feelings of; move emotionally:he was visibly affected by the tragedy

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'attack as a disease'): from French affecter or Latin affect- 'influenced, affected', from the verb afficere (see affect2)

Affect and effect are quite different in meaning, though frequently confused. Affect is primarily a verb meaning ‘make a difference to’, as in their gender need not affect their career. Effect, on the other hand, is used both as a noun and a verb, meaning ‘a result’ as a noun (move the cursor until you get the effect you want) or ‘bring about a result’ as a verb (growth in the economy can only be effected by stringent economic controls).

affect in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of affect in the US English dictionary
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