From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishaffectaf‧fect /əˈfekt/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL verb [transitive] 1 EFFECT/INFLUENCEto do something that produces an effect or change in something or in someone’s situation the areas affected by the hurricane a disease that affects the central nervous system decisions which affect our lives Trading has been adversely affected by the downturn in consumer spending.2 EMOTIONALto make someone feel strong emotions We were all deeply affected by her death.Grammar Affect is often passive in this meaning.3 formalPRETEND to pretend to have a particular feeling, way of speaking etc As usual, Simon affected complete boredom. He used to affect a foreign accent.GRAMMAR: Comparisonaffect• You say that something affects another thing: Smoking affects your health. ✗Don’t say: Smoking affects on your health.have an effect• You say that something has an effect on another thing: Smoking has a bad effect on your health.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
affect• It is annoying when she tries to affect a British accent.• We know little about the way in which workers' motivations are affected by the creation of a powerful market test.• Emergency relief will be sent to the areas most affected by the hurricane.• We were all deeply affected by the news of Sonia's death.• It affects him like a smell, like a chime.• The new tax law doesn't affect me because I'm a student.• The impact of this capacity is expected to start affecting revenue growth in the second quarter of 2000.• The disease affects the central nervous system.• Scientists are investigating the ways in which climate changes affect the ozone.• The speed of the computation affects the sampling size and speed of updates.• The explanation of this is that the sun is not the only agent that affects the temperature of the colonies.• Such considerations affect the way the courts decide on what sentence to pass on the accused.• The reasons for selling can vary enormously and will affect what the vendor sees as the key issues.affect ... lives• It's still affecting their lives 18 months later.• Technology has, it seems, transformed entirely academic discussions concerning idealized computing devices into matters which directly affect all our lives!• The environment calls the tune and the strategic behaviour of individuals is a response to the circumstances affecting their lives.• They see it as a gut issue that affects their lives.• We then consider the way in which housing structure and design affect women's lives.• Interactive telecommunications increasingly give ordinary citizens immediate access to the major political decisions that affect their lives and property.• Look, who should be the leaders, the individuals who make the decisions that affect the lives of ordinary people?• These upheavals have shaken and shaped the twentieth century, and in countless ways they affect our lives still.deeply affected• The death of the child deeply affected both of them.• The rest of us have precious little influence over the global economy, though our lives are deeply affected by it.• Brian Simpson was also deeply affected by the incident - he committed suicide the following year.• There are signs of emotional instability in those who have been deeply affected by the literature.• The family in particular, as the basic unit of society, is deeply affected by the media environment in which it lives.• Distant though it is from the Gulf, the Maghreb has been deeply affected by the war.• They are more deeply affected than most citizens because they know more about what goes on inside government than most citizens.• And others were so deeply affected that they withdrew from the community, shutting themselves away in their homes.Origin affect 1. (1300-1400) Latin past participle of afficere “to influence”, from ad- “to” + facere “to do”2. (1400-1500) French affecter, from Latin affectare, from afficere 