English Dictionary

Definition of “act”

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act (æktPronunciation for act) 

Definitions

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
    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 (sense 4)

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. (intr) as 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. (copula) not standard to seem or pretend to be  ⇒ to act tired 
  12. See clean up one's act
  13. See get in on the act
  14. See get one's act together

See also

act on , act out , act up

Alternative Forms

ˈactable adjective ˌactaˈbility noun

Word Origin

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

1ACT1

Definitions

abbreviation for

  1. Australian Capital Territory
  2. (formerly in Britain) advance corporation tax

2ACT2 (æktPronunciation for ACT2) 

Definitions

noun acronym for

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

Translations

  • British English: act Pronunciation for act An act is an action or thing that someone does....the act of reading.ækt NOUN ...the act of reading.
  • Spanish: acto Pronunciation for acto nm
  • French: acte Pronunciation for acte nm
  • German: Akt Pronunciation for Akt nm
  • Chinese: 动作Pronunciation for 动作 n
  • Arabic: فِعْلPronunciation for فِعْل n
  • Portuguese: actoPronunciation for acto nm
  • Russian: актPronunciation for акт nm
  • Croatian: činPronunciation for čin nm
  • Czech: činPronunciation for čin nm
  • Danish: handlingPronunciation for handling nutr
  • Dutch: handelingPronunciation for handeling nf
  • Finnish: tekoPronunciation for teko n
  • Greek: πράξηPronunciation for πράξη nf
  • Italian: attoPronunciation for atto nm
  • Japanese: 行為Pronunciation for 行為 n
  • Korean: 행동Pronunciation for 행동 n
  • Norwegian: gjerningPronunciation for gjerning nm
  • Polish: czynPronunciation for czyn nm
  • Brazilian Portuguese: atoPronunciation for ato nm
  • European Spanish: acto Pronunciation for acto nm
  • Swedish: handlingPronunciation for handling nutr
  • Thai: การกระทำPronunciation for การกระทำ n
  • Turkish: hareketPronunciation for hareket n
  • Vietnamese: hành viPronunciation for hành vi n
  • British English: act Pronunciation for act When you act, you do something.The police acted quickly to stop the fight.ækt VERB The police acted quickly to stop the fight.
  • Spanish: actuar Pronunciation for actuar v
  • French: agir Pronunciation for agir vi
  • German: handeln Pronunciation for handeln v
  • Chinese: 行动Pronunciation for 行动 v
  • Arabic: يَفْعَلُPronunciation for يَفْعَلُ v
  • Portuguese: actuarPronunciation for actuar v
  • Russian: действоватьPronunciation for действовать v
  • Croatian: činitiPronunciation for činiti v
  • Czech: zlobitPronunciation for zlobit v
  • Danish: handlePronunciation for handle v
  • Dutch: handelenPronunciation for handelen v
  • Finnish: toimiaPronunciation for toimia v
  • Greek: ενεργώPronunciation for ενεργώ v
  • Italian: agirePronunciation for agire v
  • Japanese: 行動するPronunciation for 行動する v
  • Korean: 행동하다Pronunciation for 행동하다 v
  • Norwegian: gjøre noePronunciation for gjøre noe v
  • Polish: działaćPronunciation for działać v
  • Brazilian Portuguese: atuarPronunciation for atuar v
  • European Spanish: actuar Pronunciation for actuar v
  • Swedish: handlaPronunciation for handla v
  • Thai: กระทำPronunciation for กระทำ v
  • Turkish: davranmakPronunciation for davranmak v
  • Vietnamese: hành độngPronunciation for hành động v
  • British English: act If you act in a play or film, you pretend to be one of the people in it.ækt VERB
  • French: jouer vt
  • Arabic: يـُمَثِّلُ v
  • Brazilian Portuguese: atuar vi

Usage examples

  • The Franciscan fathers were warned and managed to spirit the Madonna away on the very day the authorities were going to act.
    Jack Higgins, THE KEYS OF HELL (2002)
  • It had been Nelson's genius to give him the confidence to act on his own best judgement.
    Country Life (2004)
  • The Monkees are recognised as being the world's first bona fide manufactured pop act.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • The mere act of signalling something which has troubled us, for good reasons or bad, can be liberating.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • In 1925 the Governor of Tennessee signed an act that the legislature had equally reluctantly passed.
    Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'A'

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