act

Definition of act

Etymology

From Latin ācta ("register of events"), plural of āctum ("decree, law"), from agō ("put in motion").

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ækt/, SAMPA: /{kt/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -ækt

Noun

act (countable and uncountable; plural acts)

1. (countable) Something done, a deed.
   
   An act of good will.
   
   
2. (obsolete, uncountable) A state of existence.
3. (countable) A product of a legislative body, a statute.
4. The process of doing something.
   
   He was caught in the act.
   
   
5. (countable) A formal or official record of something done.
6. (countable) A division of a theatrical performance.
   
   The pivotal moment in the play was in the first scene of the second act.
   
   
7. (countable) A display of behavior.

Synonyms

• (something done): deed
• (product of a legislative body): statute
• (display of behavior): pretense

Meronyms

• (drama): scene

Holonyms

• (drama): play

Derived terms

terms derived from act (noun)

• act of attainder
• act of faith
• act of god/act of God
• act of parliament
• act of settlement
• act of terrorism
• act of war
• caught in the act
• The Acts of the Apostles

Related terms

terms related to act (noun)

• action
• agent
• agency
• active

Verb

to act (third-person singular simple present acts, present participle acting, simple past and past participle acted)

1. (intransitive) To do something.
   
   If you don't act soon, you will be in trouble.
   
   
2. (intransitive) To perform a theatrical role.
   
   I started acting at the age of eleven in my local theatre.
   
   
3. (intransitive) To behave in a certain way.
   
   He's acting strangely - I think there's something wrong with him.
   
   
4. (copulative) To convey an appearance of being.
   
   He acted unconcerned so the others wouldn't worry.
   
   
5. (chemistry, intransitive) To have an effect on.
   
   High-pressure oxygen acts on the central nervous system and may cause convulsions or death.
   
   
6. (transitive) To play (a role).
   
   He's been acting Shakespearean leads since he was twelve.
   
   
7. (transitive) To feign.
   
   He acted the angry parent, but was secretly amused.

Derived terms

terms derived from act (verb)

• act a fool
• act like a bull in a china shop
• act on
• act out
• act smart
• act up
• act upon
• actor
• actress
• enact
• interact
• react
• reactive

Related terms

terms related to act (verb)

• action
• active
• activate
• deactivate

Anagrams

• Alphagram: act
• ATC
• cat, Cat, CAT
• tac, TAC
• TCA

Translation of act in Malay

Akta

statue

1. akta

deed

1. perbuatan
2. tindakan

process of doing

1. lakon

division of theatrical performance

1. babak

display of behaviour

1. pura-pura