affectation

noun

1. an effort to appear to have a quality not really or fully possessed; the pretense of actual possession: an affectation of interest in art; affectation of great wealth.
2. conspicuous artificiality of manner or appearance; effort to attract notice by pretense, assumption, or any assumed peculiarity.
3. a trait, action, or expression characterized by such artificiality: a man of a thousand affectations.
4. Obsolete.
   1. strenuous pursuit, desire, or aspiration.
   2. affection; fondness: his affectation of literature.

noun

1. an assumed manner of speech, dress, or behaviour, esp one that is intended to impress others
2. (often foll by of) deliberate pretence or false displayaffectation of nobility

n.

“studied display,” 1540s, from French affectation (16c.) or directly from Latin affectationem (nominative affectatio) “a striving after, a claiming,” noun of action from past participle stem of affectare “to strive for” (see affect (v.2)).