affection

noun

1. fond attachment, devotion, or love: the affection of a parent for an only child.
2. Often affections.
   1. emotion; feeling; sentiment: over and above our reason and affections.
   2. the emotional realm of love: a place in his affections.
3. Pathology. a disease, or the condition of being diseased; abnormal state of body or mind: a gouty affection.
4. the act of affecting; act of influencing or acting upon.
5. the state of being affected.
6. Philosophy. a contingent, alterable, and accidental state or quality of being.
7. the affective aspect of a mental process.
8. bent or disposition of mind.
9. Obsolete. bias; prejudice.

noun Obsolete.

1. affectation(defs 1–3).

noun

1. a feeling of fondness or tenderness for a person or thing; attachment
2. (often plural) emotion, feeling, or sentimentto play on a person’s affections
3. pathol any disease or pathological condition
4. psychol any form of mental functioning that involves emotionSee also affect 1 (def. 2)
5. the act of affecting or the state of being affected
6. archaic inclination or disposition

n.

early 13c., “an emotion of the mind, passion, lust as opposed to reason,” from Old French afection (12c.) “emotion, inclination, disposition; love, attraction, enthusiasm,” from Latin affectionem (nominative affectio) “a relation, disposition; a temporary state; a frame, constitution,” noun of state from past participle stem of afficere “to do something to, act on” (see affect (n.)). Sense developed from “disposition” to “good disposition toward” (late 14c.). Related: Affections.

n.

1. A tender feeling toward another; fondness.
2. A bodily condition; disease.