Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
AFFECT
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin affectus, from afficere
Date: 14th century
feeling , affection , the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes, see: effect
II. verb see: do
Date: 15th century
transitive verb to aim at,
2. to have affection for, to be given to ; fancy , to make a display of liking or using ; cultivate , to put on a pretense of ; feign , to tend toward , frequent , intransitive verb incline 2, see: assume see: effect
III. transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from affectus, past participle of afficere
Date: 15th century
to produce an effect upon: as, to produce a material influence upon or alteration in , to act upon (as a person or a person's mind or feelings) so as to effect a response ; influence , see: effect affectability noun affectable adjective Synonyms: see: affect