# affection

/əˈfɛkʃən/ (US) · /ɐfˈɛkʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/affection
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. fondness or love

noun · CEFR B1

a feeling of liking or caring for a person or an animal.

For teachers: a gentle feeling of fondness or liking. Uncountable in its general sense, though specific instances may be countable.

- The dog showed great affection for its owner by wagging its tail.
- Despite their frequent professional disagreements, the two colleagues maintained a deep personal affection for one another that spanned several decades.

### 2. a medical condition

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a physical condition or a disease.

For teachers: a physical condition or disease, particularly one affecting a specific organ or part of the body.

- The old medical book described a strange affection of the lungs.
- The physician noted a chronic affection of the nervous system which appeared to be exacerbated by the patient's environmental conditions.

Usage: In modern medicine, 'condition' or 'disorder' is almost always preferred over 'affection'.

### 3. a quality or property

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

a quality or feature that something has.

For teachers: an attribute, quality, or property of a thing or substance.

- The philosopher discussed the different affections of the human mind.
- The treatise explores the various affections of matter, such as extension and motion, within the framework of seventeenth-century physics.

## Examples

- She has a great deal of affection for her old cat.
- The children showed their affection for the teacher by making her a large handmade card on her final day.
- While their professional relationship was strictly formal, a deep personal affection had developed between the two colleagues over decades of shared research and mutual support.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.