afetam

Afetam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb afetar, which has several related meanings, including to affect, influence, or to feign. In everyday usage, it describes actions or processes that have an impact on people, objects, or systems, as in "As políticas públicas afetam a economia" (Public policies affect the economy). It can also refer to feigning or adopting a perceived mood, for example "Eles afetam surpresa" (They feign surprise).

Afetar derives from Latin affectāre, from affectus, and has developed in Portuguese to cover senses of touching or influencing, as well as simulating or displaying a mood. The exact nuance depends on context; it may indicate a real effect on outcomes, or the deliberate presentation of a state.

In usage, afetam typically appears in factual statements about influence (políticas, eventos, decisões) or in evaluative statements about behavior (actions that appear to show a certain attitude). It is a common form in both European and Brazilian Portuguese.

Afetam is not widely used as a standalone proper noun; there are no widely recognized places or organizations named Afetam. When capitalized, it may denote a fictional entity or a coined name in a specific work.

See also: afetar, afeto.