- [uncountable, singular] the feeling of liking or loving somebody/something very much and caring about them
- Children need lots of love and affection.
- He didn't show his wife any affection.
- She was held in deep affection by all her students.
- affection for somebody/something Mr Darcy’s affection for his sister
- I have a great affection for New York.
Collocations Marriage and divorceMarriage and divorceRomance- fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with somebody)
- be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
- be/find true love/the love of your life
- suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
- have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for somebody/something
- meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
- have/go on a (blind) date
- be going out with/(especially North American English) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
- move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
- get/be engaged/married/divorced
- arrange/plan a wedding
- have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
- have/enter into an arranged marriage
- call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
- invite somebody to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
- conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
- exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
- congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
- be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
- celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
- be unfaithful to/(informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
- have an affair (with somebody)
- break off/end an engagement/a relationship
- break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
- separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife/partner
- annul/dissolve a marriage
- apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
- get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
- pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband/partner)
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc1, Personal qualitiesc1- He just wants a bit of affection.
- He'll be remembered with genuine affection.
- I don't go in for public displays of affection.
- She had developed a real affection for him.
- She had tried hard to win his affection.
- The teacher showed affection to all her students.
- a strong feeling of affection
- affections[plural] (formal or literary) a person’s feelings of love
- Anne had two men trying to win her affections.
- The object of her affections was a young man named Paul.
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin affectio(n-), from afficere ‘to influence’, from ad- ‘at, to’ + facere ‘do’.
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affection