Affectation vs. Affection: Meanings, Examples, and How to Use in a Sentence

Affectation and Affection are both nouns, relating to the noun affect, which means, basically, “emotion.” This meaning is clear with affection, which means “fondness” or “loving behavior”:

She showed her cat so much affection that the animal became spoiled and demanding.

An affectation, however, is completely different! An affectation is a behavior, or pattern of behavior, that a person chooses to perform, just because of the way it looks or feels, but which has no major practical effect on anything:

Many Chinese women adopt the affectation of covering their mouths when they laugh.

He had an affectation of wearing baseball caps, even in business meetings.

The word affectation has slightly negative connotations; affectations are considered artificial and therefore thought of as a little “fake.” But the word is not always negative. For example, in the sentence above about Chinese women, it is more neutral. It is not an insult to say that someone has an affectation. For example, an affectation may be quite charming. But if a person's behavior is dominated—or heavily marked—by affectations, that person is more likely to generate a negative impression.

Using "Affectation" in a Sentence

1. She is more concerned with her peace of mind than with the affectation of wealth. 
2. His affectation was just a facade he put up to hide his true self.
3. The young writer was full of affectation and pretension.
4. The major affectation of this novel was that it was written as if it were a travelogue.
5. Affectation is the enemy of the beautiful.
6. His affectation—of saying very little and doing even less—was well known within the company.
7. In the end, you could tell that the man’s affectation was just a front to hide his true nature.
8. When he spoke he had a disarmingly high-pitched voice, and affected a lisp.
9. She affected an air of boredom as she looked at the screen.
10. The young man's affectation of being a tough guy masked a very frightened boy.

Using "Affection" in a Sentence

1. He showed affection for his daughter by hugging her tight.
2. The affection of a dog is incomparable to that of a cat.
3. She always hugged her friends with affection, as she was usually very touchy-feely.
4. The affection between mother and child is a beautiful thing to watch.
5. The affection of the people for their leader was obvious in the speech.
6. An affectionate person is often a good friend, and helps out whenever they are needed.
7. I'm so grateful to have such an affectionate family. 
8. The hug she gives me when I come home from class is full of affection.
9. I love my cat because he always knows when I'm feeling down and always greets me with affection.
10. The couple shared an affectionate kiss at their wedding.