Definition of affection:
(n) :
the act of
affecting or acting upon; the state of being affected; an attribute; a quality or property; a condition; a bodily state; as, figure, weight, etc., are affections of bodies
"usage note: often in the plural; formerly followed by "to", but now more generally by "for" or "toward(s)"; as, filial, social, or conjugal affections; to have an affection for or towards children"