Affecté

Affecté is a French term that functions as both a past participle of the verb affecter and an ordinary adjective. It is used to describe something that has been influenced or altered, but more commonly it carries the sense of something done in an outward or artificial way. As an adjective, affecté can modify nouns to indicate an appearance, manner, or style that seems contrived or mannered.

In standard French, affecté describes both emotional states that seem shaped or exaggerated and manners that appear artificial. Examples include affecté in phrases like une manière affectée (an affected manner) or un sourire affecté (an affected smile). The related noun affectation (l’affectation) refers to pretentiousness or the act of adopting an artificial style or pose. The past participle form, affecté, is also used in compound tenses with avoir, and, when used as an adjective, agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (affectée, affectés, affectées).

In English-language criticism and literary discussion, affecté is sometimes used to describe a deliberately artificial or theatrical tone borrowed from or inspired by French usage. It typically carries a negative connotation, implying that a style or behavior is insincere or overrefined.

Etymologically, affecter derives from French, with senses related to affecting, influencing, or feigning. The term is more common in French-language texts than in everyday English usage, though its concept appears in discussions of rhetoric, performance, and literary style.