Synonym Chooser

How does the noun affectation contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of affectation are airs, air, mannerism, and pose. While all these words mean "an adopted way of speaking or behaving," affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

When would air be a good substitute for affectation?

While the synonyms air and affectation are close in meaning, air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

When is it sensible to use airs instead of affectation?

The meanings of airs and affectation largely overlap; however, airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

When can mannerism be used instead of affectation?

Although the words mannerism and affectation have much in common, mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

When is pose a more appropriate choice than affectation?

The synonyms pose and affectation are sometimes interchangeable, but pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affectation Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society. Ew Staff, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025 Unlike Chase, Aykroyd worked hard to retain Carter’s affectations and appearance, while also adding a slyness that implied a deeper calculation. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025 From frame one, Bob Dylan, the creation, the idea, the trickster, the lone wolf, without attitude or affectation, your Dylan was no imitation. Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025 In a transfixing performance that balances colorful affectation with raw hunger, the actor makes Lee a magnetic raconteur whose shield of worldly composure falls away as Eugene (Drew Starkey) eludes his grasp, leaving him a virtual ghost by the end of the film. Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affectation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectation
Noun
  • Each installment was a chance for a new joke, a new observation—about fashion, dating, public restrooms, artistic pretensions, being mistaken for a man—in an era when popular depictions of lesbian experience were rare.
    Charlie Tyson, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
  • Her generation had its pretensions, however rough the family seems now.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • This silliness, the silliness of his arrogance, was actually funny to me.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • On the dark side, however, Mercury in Leo can spark moments of arrogance and stubbornness.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured two of the women under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
  • Theft by false pretenses: A Saratoga resident said someone convinced them to sign a property deed in lieu of foreclosure to avoid filing for bankruptcy.
    Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Lean a framed print against the wall in the center of a wide vanity or on a shelf above the toilet.
    Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
  • The Eden's bathroom is placed on the opposite side of the home to the entrance and has a toilet, a vanity sink, and a walk-in shower, plus a little more storage space.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • In speeches and interviews as health secretary, Kennedy has made clear his disdain for mainstream autism research, brushing aside the insights gained for this tremendously complex condition through years of research.
    Caren Zucker, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
  • Mason's family murmured their disdain from the back of the courtroom while Broadwell addressed her.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • Yet as more data has emerged demonstrating the safety or even superiority of AI for some tasks, those views are likely changing.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Red Bull enjoyed a period of superiority since the inception of the current ground effect era in 2022, thanks to the aerodynamic expertise of the team's former chief technical officer, Adrian Newey.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Home equity and Medicaid Under both chambers, applicants wouldn't qualify for Medicaid if their home equity is valued at more than $1 million, regardless of inflation.
    July 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
  • Preliminary national inflation data will be released this afternoon.
    Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • But much to the couple’s pride and relief, the crash didn’t pull the family apart.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2025
  • The milestone sparked pride from his father, but his mother didn't share the same enthusiasm.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affectation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectation. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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