DictionaryRoot: ad-
Latin

ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

  • ad-
  • ac- — Used before c in Latin.
  • af- — Used before f in Latin.
  • ag- — Used before g in Latin.
  • al- — Used before l in Latin.
  • ap- — Used before p in Latin.
  • ar- — Used before r in Latin.
  • as- — Used before s in Latin.
  • at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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verb

affect

uh-FEKT/əˈfekt/

To produce a change in someone or something.

The strong breeze affects the tree, bending its branches and scattering leaves.

A strong breeze bends a tree and scatters its leaves, visibly affecting it.
Etymology

The literal idea is “to do something to”: acting on something rather than simply doing an action. The Latin verb already included exerting influence, directly connecting these pieces with producing a change.

In context

Muller Field Station3:58
it's injected and will start to affect the animals maybe respiratory system and kind of slow it down
Shrew Knew? Fascinating facts about shrews!

More examples

  • Even a small delay can affect the final result.
  • Her kindness deeply affected him.
  • We studied how noise is affecting children's sleep.

Forms

affect · affects · affected · affecting

Similar words

influence
Suggests shaping an outcome, sometimes gradually or indirectly.
alter
Emphasizes a resulting change in form, state, or character.