affection

views updated

af·fec·tion / əˈfekshən/ • n. 1. a gentle feeling of fondness or liking: she felt affection for the wise old lady| he won a place in her affections. ∎  physical expressions of these feelings: the prisoners crave affection and hence participate in sexual relationships.2. archaic the act or process of affecting or being affected. ∎  a condition of disease: an affection of the skin. ∎  a mental state; an emotion.DERIVATIVES: af·fec·tion·al / -shənl/ adj.

More From encyclopedia.com