/ əˈflɪkt; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] [ often passive ] ( formal ) to affect sb/sth in an unpleasant or harmful way :
About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease.
Aid will be sent to the afflicted areas.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense deject, humiliate ): from Latin afflictare knock about, harass, or from afflict- knocked down, weakened: both from the verb affligere , from ad- to + fligere to strike, dash.