File affected long sentence (4)
I believe the answer is:
life
'long sentence' is the definition.
(life in prison)
'file affected' is the wordplay.
'affected' indicates anagramming the letters.
'file' anagrammed gives 'LIFE'.
(Other definitions for life that I've seen before include "Maximum stretch?" , "'While there's .... there's hope'" , "The longest sentence" , ""But an empty dream" (Longfellow) - "As tedious as a twice-told tale" (Shakespeare)" , "Existence - biography" .)