affectation
/ˌæf.ɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun
Forms affectations
- noun An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.
- noun An unusual mannerism.
- noun (with of, now somewhat rare) An ostentatious fondness for something.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle French affectation and its etymon Latin affectātiōnem, from affectō (“to feign”). By surface analysis, affect + -ation.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show. "An affectation of contempt." Macaulay.
- noun A striving after. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.
Etymology [L. affectatio: cf. F. affectation.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “affectation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details