af·fec·ta·tion
(ăf́ĕk-tā́shən)
[Latin affectātiō, affectātiōn-, from affectātus past participle of affectāre, to strive after; see affect2.]
noun
- A show, pretense, or display.
- Behavior that is assumed rather than natural; artificiality.
- A particular habit, as of speech or dress, adopted to give a false impression.
synonyms:
affectation, pose1air, mannerism These nouns refer to personal behavior assumed for effect. An affectation is artificial behavior, often adopted in imitation of someone, that is perceived as being unnatural: “His playing stripped away . . . the affectations and exaggerations that characterized Chopin interpretation before his arrival” (Michael Kimmelman) Pose denotes an attitude adopted to call favorable attention to oneself: His humility is only a pose. Air, meaning a distinctive but intangible quality, does not always imply sham: The director had an air of authority. In the plural, however, it suggests affectation and self-importance: The movie star was putting on airs. Mannerism denotes an idiosyncratic trait or quirk, often one that others find obtrusive and distracting: His mannerism of closing his eyes as he talked made it seem as if he were deep in thought.
