What does affectioned mean?
Affectioned is an archaic English adjective meaning fondly disposed or warmly attached toward someone or something. Formed from the verb 'affection' in its now-obsolete sense of 'to be moved with fondness,' it describes a settled feeling of tender regard rather than an outward display of warmth. Today the word survives almost exclusively in older literature and religious texts; it is best known from the King James Bible of 1611, where Romans 12:10 instructs readers to be 'kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.' Because that translation remains widely read, many people encounter the word without ever using it themselves. In contemporary writing, 'affectionate,' 'fond,' or 'devoted' have taken its place. Affectioned carries a warm, gentle connotation and a distinctly formal, antique register, which gives it value for readers of early modern English and for anyone interested in how the language of emotion has shifted over four centuries.
adjectiveFondly disposed or warmly attached toward someone or something; characterized by tender regard. The word is now largely archaic, surviving chiefly in older texts such as the King James Bible.
- Fondly disposed or warmly attached toward a person or thing (archaic).
"The epistle urges believers to be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love."
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love."
"He was deeply affectioned toward his old tutor, long after their lessons had ended."
You've probably read this word without realizing it — it's the 'kindly affectioned' of the King James Bible, a 1611 phrasing that still echoes in churches four centuries later.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of affectioned
Affectioned derives from Latin afficere, 'to act upon, to influence,' via the Old French and Middle English verb 'affection,' which once meant to feel fondness or attachment toward something. The participial form 'affectioned' was common in Middle and Early Modern English to describe someone moved by such fondness. It belongs to the same Latin root family as 'affect,' 'affectionate,' and 'disaffected.' As the verb 'affection' fell out of use, the adjective became archaic, though it was fixed permanently in English memory by the King James Bible's rendering of Romans 12:10.
Related word forms
How affectioned is actually used
Archaic and literary; modern writers should prefer 'affectionate' or 'fond'. The phrase 'kindly affectioned' is preserved in the King James Version of Romans 12:10 and remains familiar through liturgical reading.
Easily confused with affectioned
Affectionate is the standard modern word for showing warmth and fondness, while affectioned is an archaic participial form meaning fondly disposed, now rarely used outside historical texts.