act

¹

[akt]

noun

1. anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance.

   a heroic act.

   Synonyms: accomplishment, transaction, achievement, exploit, feat

2. the process of doing.

   caught in the act.

3. a formal decision, law, or the like, by a legislature, ruler, court, or other authority; decree or edict; statute; judgment, resolve, or award.

   an act of Congress.

4. an instrument or document stating something done or transacted.

   Synonyms: record

5. one of the main divisions of a play or opera.

   the second act of Hamlet.

6. a short performance by one or more entertainers, usually part of a variety show or radio or television program.

   Synonyms: routine, turn

7. the personnel of such a group.

   The act broke up after 30 years.

8. false show; pretense; feint.

   The politician's pious remarks were all an act.

9. Philosophy.,  (in scholasticism)

   1. activity in process; operation.

   2. the principle or power of operation.

   3. form as determining essence.

   4. a state of realization, as opposed to potentiality.

verb (used without object)

1. to do something; exert energy or force; be employed or operative.

   He acted promptly in the emergency.

   Synonyms: play, work, function, perform

2. to reach, make, or issue a decision on some matter.

   I am required to act before noon tomorrow.

   Synonyms: play, work, function, perform

3. to operate or function in a particular way; perform specific duties or functions.

   to act as manager.

   Synonyms: play, work, function, perform

4. to produce an effect; perform a function.

   The medicine failed to act.

   Synonyms: play, work, function, perform

5. to behave or conduct oneself in a particular fashion.

   to act well under all conditions.

6. to pretend; feign.

   Act interested even if you're bored.

7. to perform as an actor.

   He acted in three plays by Molière.

8. to be capable of being performed.

   His plays don't act well.

9. to serve or substitute (usually followed byfor ).

   In my absence the assistant manager will act for me.

verb (used with object)

1. to represent (a fictitious or historical character) with one's person.

   to act Macbeth.

   Synonyms: play

2. to feign; counterfeit.

   to act outraged virtue.

3. to behave as.

   He acted the fool.

   Synonyms: play

4. Obsolete.,  to actuate.

verb phrase

1. act up

   1. to fail to function properly; malfunction.

      The vacuum cleaner is acting up again.

   2. to behave willfully.

      The children always act up in school the day before a holiday.

   3. to become painful or troublesome, especially after a period of improvement or remission.

      My arthritis is acting up again this morning.

2. get / have one's act together,  to organize one's time, job, resources, etc., so as to function efficiently.

   The new administration is still getting its act together.

3. act on / upon

   1. to act in accordance with; follow.

      He acted on my advice.

   2. to have an effect on; affect.

      The stirring music acted on the emotions of the audience.

4. act out

   1. to demonstrate or illustrate by pantomime or by words and gestures.

      The party guests acted out stories for one another.

   2. Psychology.,  to give overt expression to (repressed emotions or impulses) without insightful understanding.

      The patients acted out early traumas by getting angry with the analyst.

ACT

²

1. Trademark.,  a standardized college admissions test developed by ACT, Inc., measuring English, mathematics, reading, and science skills: originally an abbreviation of American College Testing/American College Test.

2. Association of Classroom Teachers.

3. Australian Capital Territory.

act.

³

abbreviation

1. acting.

2. active.

3. actor.

4. actual.

act

¹

/ ækt /

noun

1. something done or performed; a deed

2. the performance of some physical or mental process; action

3. (capital when part of a name) the formally codified result of deliberation by a legislative body; a law, edict, decree, statute, etc

4. (often plural) a formal written record of transactions, proceedings, etc, as of a society, committee, or legislative body

5. a major division of a dramatic work

6. 1. a short performance of skill, a comic sketch, dance, etc, esp one that is part of a programme of light entertainment

   2. those giving such a performance

7. an assumed attitude or pose, esp one intended to impress

8. philosophy an occurrence effected by the volition of a human agent, usually opposed at least as regards its explanation to one which is causally determined Compare event

verb

1. (intr) to do something; carry out an action

2. (intr) to function in a specified way; operate; react

   his mind acted quickly

3. to perform (a part or role) in a play, etc

4. (tr) to present (a play, etc) on stage

5. (intr; usually foll by for or as) to be a substitute (for); function in place (of)

6. to serve the function or purpose (of)

   the glass acted as protection

7. (intr) to conduct oneself or behave (as if one were)

   she usually acts like a lady

8. (intr) to behave in an unnatural or affected way

9. (copula) to pose as; play the part of

   to act the fool

10. (copula) to behave in a manner appropriate to (esp in the phrase act one's age )

11. not_standard,  (copula) to seem or pretend to be

    to act tired

12. to start to behave in a responsible manner

13. informal,  to become involved in a profitable undertaking or advantageous situation in order to share in the benefits

14. informal,  to become organized or prepared

ACT

²

abbreviation

1. Australian Capital Territory

2. (formerly in Britain) advance corporation tax

ACT

³

/ ækt /

acronym

1. (in New Zealand) Association of Consumers and Taxpayers: a small political party of the right

Other Word Forms

• actable adjective
• actability noun
• misact verb (used without object)
• postact noun
• preact verb (used with object)
• unacted adjective
• well-acted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of act¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English act(e), from Middle French, from Latin ācta, plural of āctum “something done,” noun use of neuter past participle of agere “to do, drive”; also from Latin āctus “deed,” noun use of masculine past participle of agere

Word History and Origins

Origin of act¹

C14: from Latin actus a doing, performance, and actum a thing done, from the past participle of agere to do

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. act one's age, to behave in a manner appropriate to one's maturity.

   We children enjoyed our uncle because he didn't always act his age.

2. clean up one's act, to begin adhering to more acceptable practices, rules of behavior, etc..

   The factory must clean up its act and treat its employees better.

3. act funny, to display eccentric or suspicious behavior.

More idioms and phrases containing act

• catch in the act
• clean up (one's act)
• do a disappearing act
• get in the act
• get one's act together
• hard (tough) act to follow
• high-wire act
• in the act of
• put on an act

Synonym Study

See action.

Example Sentences

It came after we went undercover to catch the dealers in the act.

From BBC

On their own, Volman and Kaylan also honed their comedic shtick as recording artists, later taking their act to radio and, once they reacquired the rights to the Turtles moniker, on the road, playing the oldies circuit into the 2010s.

From Los Angeles Times

By far the biggest act on the small-scale White Whale, the Turtles were subjected to pressure by the label to record more commercial material, yet Volman and Kaylan kept pushing the band to make hip music.

From Los Angeles Times

First, in an act of protest, Alan Braid, a Texas physician, wrote a 2021 editorial in the Washington Post declaring that he had performed an abortion in violation of S.B.

From Slate

He argued that the physician, Remy Coeytaux, is liable for wrongful death in part because they had violated the Comstock Act, and sought an injunction on behalf of “all current and future fathers of unborn children in the United States.”

From Slate

Related Words

• begin 
• carry out 
• develop 
• do 
• enforce 
• execute 
• function 
• move 
• operate 
• pursue 
• respond 
• serve 
• undertake