A tender feeling toward another; fondness. See Synonyms at love.
Feeling or emotion. Often used in the plural: an unbalanced state of affections.
A disposition to feel, do, or say; a propensity.
Obsolete Prejudice; partiality.
[Middle English affeccioun, from Old French affection, from Latin affectiō, affectiōn-, from affectus, past participle of afficere, to affect, influence; see affect1.]
c.1230, "an emotion of the mind, passion, lust as opposed to reason," from O.Fr. affection, from L. affectionem (nom affectio) "inclination, influence, permanent state of feeling," from affec-, stem of afficere "to do something to, act on" (see affect (n.)). Sense developed from "disposition" to "good disposition toward" (1382). Affectionate in the sense of "loving" is from 1586.
a positive feeling of liking; "he had trouble expressing the affection he felt"; "the child won everyone's heart"; "the warmness of his welcome made us feel right at home"
Af*fec"tion\, n. [F. affection, L. affectio, fr. afficere. See Affect.]1. The act of affecting or acting upon; the state of being affected. 2. An attribute; a quality or property; a condition; a bodily state; as, figure, weight, etc., are affections of bodies. "The affections of quantity." --Boyle. And, truly, waking dreams were, more or less, An old and strange affection of the house. --Tennyson. 3. Bent of mind; a feeling or natural impulse or natural impulse acting upon and swaying the mind; any emotion; as, the benevolent affections, esteem, gratitude, etc.; the malevolent affections, hatred, envy, etc.; inclination; disposition; propensity; tendency. Affection is applicable to an unpleasant as well as a pleasant state of the mind, when impressed by any object or quality. --Cogan. 4. A settled good will; kind feeling; love; zealous or tender attachment; -- often in the pl. Formerly followed by to, but now more generally by for or towards; as, filial, social, or conjugal affections; to have an affection for or towards children. All his affections are set on his own country. --Macaulay. 5. Prejudice; bias. [Obs.] --Bp. Aylmer. 6. (Med.) Disease; morbid symptom; malady; as, a pulmonary affection. --Dunglison. 7. The lively representation of any emotion. --Wotton. 8. Affectation. [Obs.] "Spruce affection." --Shak. 9. Passion; violent emotion. [Obs.] Most wretched man, That to affections does the bridle lend. --Spenser. Syn: Attachment; passion; tenderness; fondness; kindness; love; good will. See Attachment; Disease.
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