different between activate vs affect
activate
English
Etymology
active +? -ate
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?ækt??ve?t/
Verb
activate (third-person singular simple present activates, present participle activating, simple past and past participle activated)
- (transitive) To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate.
- (transitive) To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable.
- (transitive, chemistry, physics) To render more reactive; excite.
- (transitive, biology) To render a molecule reactive, active, or effective in performing its function.
- (transitive, physics) To render a substance radioactive.
- (transitive, chemistry) To hasten a chemical reaction, especially by heating.
- (transitive, computing, software) To remove the limitations of demoware by providing a license; to unlock.
- (transitive) To aerate in order to aid decomposition of organic matter.
- (transitive, military) To organize or create a military unit or station.
- (transitive, sports) To bring a player back after an injury.
Synonyms
- actuate
- enable
- get going
- set going
- set in motion
- set off
- spur
- start
- stimulate
- trigger
- turn on
Related terms
- activation
Antonyms
- deactivate
- inactivate
Translations
Anagrams
- cavitate
activate From the web:
- what activates a g protein
- what activates slime
- what activates pepsinogen
- what activates yeast
- what activates b cells
- what activates baking soda
- what activates the c6 complement protein
- what activates shingles
affect
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English affecten, from Latin affect?re, from Latin affectus, the participle stem of Latin afficere (“to act upon, influence, affect, attack with disease”), from ad- + facere (“to make, do”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: ?.f?kt', IPA(key): /??f?kt/
- Rhymes: -?kt
Verb
affect (third-person singular simple present affects, present participle affecting, simple past and past participle affected)
- (transitive) To influence or alter.
- Synonyms: alter, change, have an effect on, have an impact on, influence
- (transitive) To move to emotion.
- Synonyms: move, touch
- 1757, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
- A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles.
- (transitive, pathology) Of an illness or condition, to infect or harm (a part of the body).
- Synonyms: attack, harm, infect
- (transitive, archaic) To dispose or incline.
- (transitive, archaic) To tend to by affinity or disposition.
- The drops of every fluid affect a round figure.
- (transitive, archaic) To assign; to appoint.
- One of the domestics was affected to his special service.
Usage notes
Affect and effect are sometimes confused. Affect conveys influence over something that already exists, but effect indicates the manifestation of new or original ideas or entities:
- "...new policies have effected major changes in government."
- "...new policies have affected major changes in government."
The former indicates that major changes were made as a result of new policies, while the latter indicates that before new policies, major changes were in place, and that the new policies had some influence over these existing changes.
The verbal noun uses of affect are distinguished from the verbal noun uses of effect more clearly than the regular verb forms. An affect is something that acts or acted upon something else. However, an effect is the result of an action (by something else).
Conjugation
Derived terms
- affectingly
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English affecten, from Anglo-Norman affecter (“strive after”), Middle French affecter (“feign”), and their source, Latin affect?re (“to strive after, aim to do, pursue, imitate with dissimulation, feign”), frequentative of afficere (“to act upon, influence”) (see Etymology 1, above).
Pronunciation
- enPR: ?f?kt', IPA(key): /??f?kt/
- Rhymes: -?kt
Verb
affect (third-person singular simple present affects, present participle affecting, simple past and past participle affected)
- (transitive) To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume. To make a false display of. [from 16th c.]
- Synonyms: fake, simulate, feign
- (obsolete, transitive) To aim for, to try to obtain. [15th-19th c.]
- (transitive, rare) To feel affection for (someone); to like, be fond of. [from 16th c.]
- c. 1589, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, Scene 1,[1]
- There is a Lady in Verona heere
- Whom I affect: but she is nice, and coy,
- And naught esteemes my aged eloquence.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.10:
- From that day forth she gan to him affect, / And daily more her favour to augment […]
- 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-History of Britain, London: John Williams, Book 5, p. 173,[2]
- As for Queen Katharine, he rather respected, then affected; rather honoured, then loved her.
- 1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, part 1, canto 1:
- But when he pleased to show 't, his speech / In loftiness of sound was rich; / A Babylonish dialect, / Which learned pedants much affect.
- c. 1589, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, Scene 1,[1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To show a fondness for (something); to choose. [from 16th c.]
- 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, III.9:
- Amongst humane conditions this one is very common, that we are rather pleased with strange things then with our owne; we love changes, affect alterations, and like innovations.
- c. 1607, William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, Act I, Scene 2,[3]
- Go, let him have a table by himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is he fit for’t, indeed.
- 1825, William Hazlitt, “On the Conduct of life: or Advice to a schoolboy” in Table-Talk Volume II, Paris: A. & W. Galignani, p. 284,[4]
- Do not affect the society of your inferiors in rank, nor court that of the great.
- 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, III.9:
Derived terms
- affected
- affectedly
- affectedness
- affectation
- affecter
Translations
Etymology 3
From Middle English affect, from Latin affectus, adfectus (“a state of mind or body produced by some (external) influence, especially sympathy or love”), from afficere (“to act upon, influence”)
Pronunciation
- enPR: ?'f?kt, IPA(key): /?æ.f?kt/
Noun
affect (plural affects)
- (obsolete) One's mood or inclination; mental state. [14th-17th c.]
- (obsolete) A desire, an appetite. [16th-17th c.]
- (psychology) A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs. [from 19th c.]
- 1999, Joyce Crick, translating Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Oxford 2008, p. 62:
- if we are afraid of robbers in a dream, the robbers are certainly imaginary, but the fear is real. This draws our attention to the fact that the development of affects [transl. Affectentwicklung] in dreams is not amenable to the judgement we make of the rest of the dream-content [...].
- 2004, Jeffrey Greenberg & Thomas A Pyszczynski, Handbook of Experimental Existential Psychology, p. 407:
- A third study demonstrated that the effects of self-affirmation on self-regulated performance were not due to positive affect.
- 1999, Joyce Crick, translating Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Oxford 2008, p. 62:
Usage notes
Affect and effect can both be used as nouns or verbs, but when used as a noun the word affect is limited to the above psychology uses and the definitions for effect are much more common. See also the usage notes as a verb above.
Derived terms
- affect display
- flat affect
- labile affect
Related terms
- affective
- affection
- affectionate
Translations
References
- affect in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “affect”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin affectus.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.f?kt/
Noun
affect m (plural affects)
- (psychology, philosophy) affect; emotion
Related terms
- affectif
See also
- intellect
Further reading
- “affect” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Scots
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /??f?k(t)/
Etymology 1
Verb
affect (third-person singular present affects, present participle affectin, past affectit, past participle affectit)
- to affect
- (law) to burden property with a fixed charge or payment, or other condition or restriction
Etymology 2
Noun
affect (plural affects)
- affect, mood
References
- Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.
affect From the web:
- what affects the rate of photosynthesis
- what affects blood pressure
- what affects your credit score
- what affects enzyme activity
- what affects climate
- what affects gas prices
- what affects gravity
- what affects kinetic energy
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