AFFECTATION

affectation, mannerism, pose, affectedness

(noun) a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

affectation (countable and uncountable, plural affectations)

An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.

An unusual mannerism.

Synonyms

• (unusual mannerism): eccentricity, mannerism

Source: Wiktionary


Af`fec*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. affectatio: cf. F. affectation.]

1. An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show. "An affectation of contempt." Macaulay. Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural what is natural. Locke.

2. A striving after. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

3. Fondness; affection. [Obs.] Hooker.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

21 April 2025

ENCYCLOPEDIA

(noun) a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty


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Coffee Trivia

The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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