– New York PostĮffect can also be used as a verb meaning “to make happen, produce, cause.” For example,

These effects were nowhere near as distracting as the moving seats.

The politician misrepresented the effect of his policies.

What does effect mean? Effect is also both a noun and a verb, but it is almost always used as a noun, meaning, “outcome, result.” For example, See a similar discussion with the word adjective affective here. It leads to too much unnecessary confusion. Unless you must use “affect” as a noun, i.e., you are a psychiatrist, you should try to avoid it. The AP Stylebook gives some great advice on using “affect” as a noun: avoid it if possible.

There is very little chance that this usage would ever make it into your writing, unless you happen to be studying psychology. This is a technical term for which there is no need in everyday language. After giving the patient the preliminary dosage, he described his affect as flat.– The New York TimesĪffect has a specialized meaning in psychology as a noun, “feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language.” For example, The riskier issue, though, is when philanthropists donate too heartily to a social change organization without thinking through how that donation could affect that group.The argument affected their marriage deeply.This game will affect our standings in the league.What does affect mean? Affect is both a noun and a verb, but it is almost always used as a verb, meaning, “to influence, change or alter.” For example, Today, I want to go over the differences between these two words and give you a few ways to remember their differences.Īfter reading this post, you shouldn’t ever have to second-guess yourself as to the correct use of these words, “Should I use effect or affect?”

What is the Difference Between Affect and Effect? Many people have trouble telling them apart because of their similar spelling and pronunciation, but, once you know their differences, they are actually quite easy to tell apart. Out of all the confusing words in English, affect vs.

Someone has an effect or affect on you