as in pretension
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
a woman of great affectation at social gatherings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affectation
Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.
—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
That’s probably an affectation.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Alternatively, sometimes the quest to reach world markets by way of film-festival acclaim gives rise to the opposite—to big swings and big misses, the kind of festival films that, by ambition, idiosyncrasy, and length, cut through the clamor but exude affectation and effortfulness.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
May contributes harp glissandos, which somehow don’t come off as a precocious affectation.
—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectation
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
That’s probably an affectation.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Alternatively, sometimes the quest to reach world markets by way of film-festival acclaim gives rise to the opposite—to big swings and big misses, the kind of festival films that, by ambition, idiosyncrasy, and length, cut through the clamor but exude affectation and effortfulness.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
May contributes harp glissandos, which somehow don’t come off as a precocious affectation.
—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectation
Noun
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Impartial, fact-finding and without pretension, Burns turns his camera to our history in a sober-but-not-boring manner.
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To adore the literary greats but reject any modicum of pretension?
Noun
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Needless to say there was no second date, and, eventually though painfully, my own arrogance had some of its rough edges worn down.
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In Episode 3, Harris discussed the early arrogance of the founding fathers who made proposals for America's independence and questioned who was entitled to freedom.
Noun
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The longevity industry profits from mystifying the obvious, but Emanuel largely dispenses with pretense.
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In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty.
Noun
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Let go of the vanity metrics, and put your time where the value is.
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Elsewhere, Prada made a case for vanity pouches swinging from belts; keychains were back at Tod’s; and at Giorgio Armani, models sported the letters G and A pinned to their blazers in homage to the late designer, who died last September.
Noun
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While the singer-songwriter has been vocal about her disdain for generative AI models, her latest argument against it comes after learning hundreds of her own songs have been used for training purposes.
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But many Cepeda voters are still grappling to understand the disdain towards Colombia’s left.
Noun
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Critics argued that the message of a White man elevated above both a Native American and an African symbolized racial superiority.
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Word about Hitler’s belief in Aryan superiority had spread far, and many observers warned of its genocidal, war-bringing ramifications.
Noun
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Griffith’s own work looks stiff and sentimental, weighed down with melodrama and grandiosity that may have seemed dated even in 1915.
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People with bipolar disorder cycle through extended periods of mania and depression, often accompanied by grandiosity or elevated self-esteem during manic phases.
Noun
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Since the Labour Party took office in 2024, average weekly pay, adjusted for inflation and excluding bonuses, has inched up less than 1% to £494 ($651), according to the UK statistics office — hardly better than the growth since 2019.
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But that was little comfort to tech investors, who are concerned that short-term inflation will increase the debt burden of mega-cap companies that have borrowed large amounts of money to fund their artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Cite this Entry
“Affectation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectation. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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