Affections refers to feelings of fondness or tenderness toward someone or something, or the behavioural expressions of such feelings. In medical terms, it can describe attachments or emotional states. The plural form often refers to multiple instances of these emotions or to the organs' physiological attachments in anatomical contexts. Overall, it conveys warmth, care, and emotional attachment.
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"Her affections for her grandmother were evident in every visit."
"The novel explores the fragile affections of a family during difficult times."
"In the song, the singer expresses affections that transcend distance."
"The doctor noted the patient's affections as part of his emotional well-being."
Affections comes from the Middle English affectionen, from Old French affection, based on Latin affectio, affect- ‘a striving after, aim’, from afficere ‘to affect, move, influence’ (from ad- ‘toward’ + facere ‘to make, do’). The word entered English in the 14th century with sense related to mental or emotional states, often implying a fond or loving attachment. In medical or anatomical contexts, affections historically referred to states of disease or malformations but modern usage retains the emotional sense in everyday language while occasionally appearing in formal or poetic registers. The root affic- sits near affect- in English semantics, with gradual semantic shifts from “to do toward” to “emotional state” and later “display of feeling.” First known use appears in late Middle English, with written attestations in the 14th–15th centuries in literary and religious texts, evolving through Renaissance to modern use where affections describe attachments, tendencies, or sentimental inclinations as a general pluralizable concept.
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Words that rhyme with "affections"
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Pronounce affections as ə-FEK-shənz in broad American and British English. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /əˈfek.ʃənz/. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, move to a clear /f/ plus /e/ vowel in the second, then a shün-like /ʃ/ in the third, and finish with a voiced /z/ in the plural. Mouth positioning: relaxed lips for the schwa, light lip rounding for the /f/, mid-front tongue for /e/ (or /ɛ/ in some accents), and a forward tongue for /ʃ/. Audio references: try listening to native speakers on Pronounce or Forvo to confirm the /əˈfek.ʃənz/ rhythm.
Common errors include merging the /f/ with the /e/ into a single sound (e.g., /ˈæfek.ʃənz/ instead of /əˈfek.ʃənz/), and misplacing the stress or over-articulating the /t/ leading to /tʃ/ or /tɪənz/. Some speakers also voice the final -s as a /z/ too strongly, making the word sound abrupt. Correction: start with a clear, unstressed schwa in the first syllable, keep the /f/ crisp, use a short, rounded /e/ for the second syllable, and relax into /ʃən/ before the final /z/. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the correct rhythm.
In US English, /əˈfek.ʃənz/ with rhoticity influencing the influence of the final vowel cluster. In UK English, /əˈfek.ʃənz/ tends to have a slightly tighter /ɛ/ in the second syllable and less pronounced r-like coloration. Australian English typically features a longer, flatter /ɪ/ or /e/ in the second syllable and a non-rhotic ending, with /z/ pronounced more softly. Across all, the primary stress remains on the second syllable; differences lie in vowel qualities and the onset of /ʃ/.
The difficulty lies in the sequence af-FEC-tions: a weak initial schwa followed by a strong /f/ and a rapid /e/ to /ʃ/ transition, then a voiced final /z/. The cluster /fek/ requires precise tongue position to avoid bleeding into /fek/ or /fɪk/. The unstressed first syllable adds to the challenge, as many speakers naturally reduce it too much or emphasize it incorrectly. Focus on the mid-central vowel in the first syllable, then crisp /f/ + /e/ then gradual /ʃ/ and final /nz/.
The plural -ions ending in affections behaves like a typical -ions ending, where the /iən/ sequence becomes /ʃənz/ with a light /ə/ before the /n/. The last two sounds are /ənz/ with a soft d. The challenge is keeping the /ʃ/ as a single consonant and not turning it into /tʃ/ or merging with the preceding /k/ or /s/. Emphasize the /ʃ/ and keep the inter-syllabic rhythm even when speaking quickly.
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