anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance: a heroic act.
the process of doing: caught in the act.
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.
an instrument or document stating something done or transacted.
one of the main divisions of a play or opera: the second act of Hamlet.
a short performance by one or more entertainers, usually part of a variety show or radio or television program.
the personnel of such a group: The act broke up after 30 years.
false show; pretense; feint: The politician's pious remarks were all an act.
Philosophy. (in scholasticism)
activity in process; operation.
the principle or power of operation.
form as determining essence.
a state of realization, as opposed to potentiality.
verb (used without object)
to do something; exert energy or force; be employed or operative: He acted promptly in the emergency.
to reach, make, or issue a decision on some matter: I am required to act before noon tomorrow.
to operate or function in a particular way; perform specific duties or functions: to act as manager.
to produce an effect; perform a function: The medicine failed to act.
to behave or conduct oneself in a particular fashion: to act well under all conditions.
to pretend; feign: Act interested even if you're bored.
to perform as an actor: He acted in three plays by Molière.
to be capable of being performed: His plays don't act well.
to serve or substitute (usually followed by for): In my absence the assistant manager will act for me.
verb (used with object)
to represent (a fictitious or historical character) with one's person: to act Macbeth.
to feign; counterfeit: to act outraged virtue.
to behave as: He acted the fool.
Obsolete. to actuate.
Verb Phrases
act on / upon
to act in accordance with; follow: He acted on my advice.
to have an effect on; affect: The stirring music acted on the emotions of the audience.
act out,
to demonstrate or illustrate by pantomime or by words and gestures: The party guests acted out stories for one another.
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 up,
to fail to function properly; malfunction: The vacuum cleaner is acting up again.
to behave willfully: The children always act up in school the day before a holiday.
to become painful or troublesome, especially after a period of improvement or remission: My arthritis is acting up again this morning.
get / have one's act togetherInformal. to organize one's time, job, resources, etc., so as to function efficiently: The new administration is still getting its act together.
Idioms for act
act funny, to display eccentric or suspicious behavior.
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.
clean up one's act, Informal. to begin adhering to more acceptable practices, rules of behavior, etc.: The factory must clean up its act and treat its employees better.
Origin of act
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English act(e) (from Middle French ), from Latin ācta, plural of āctum “something done,” noun use of past participle of agere “to do” (āg- past participle stem + -tum neuter past participle suffix); and directly from Latin āctus “a doing” (āg- + -tus suffix of verbal action)
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.Compare SAT.
Some adherents of QAnon are running for public office, but some others have committed violent acts or threatened them, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Citigroup puts employee who ran QAnon website on paid leave|kdunn6|September 17, 2020|Fortune
With Election Day just seven weeks away, the act is unlikely to become law during this session of Congress.
Bill to tear down federal courts’ paywall gains momentum in Congress|Timothy B. Lee|September 16, 2020|Ars Technica
On July 31, the weekly $600 unemployment checks that were sent out thanks to the CARES act officially expired.
Why lawmakers may choose a more targeted approach for the second round of COVID stimulus|Aric Jenkins|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Every eligible voter’s vote should be counted and not canceled out by fraudulent acts.
No Democrats Allowed: A Conservative Lawyer Holds Secret Voter Fraud Meetings With State Election Officials|by Mike Spies, Jake Pearson and Jessica Huseman|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
The governor should forget about it until after the pandemic and legislators get their acts back together.
Sacramento Report: Bipartisan Support for a Special Session|Sara Libby|September 11, 2020|Voice of San Diego
A spokesman for Lewisham council said last year that it would be forced to act if the family returned to Britain.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Every once in a while, they act swiftly and acknowledge the problem.
Today’s GOP: Still Cool With Racist Pandering?|Michael Tomasky|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Samaritan guidelines are written around the assumption that suicide is a purely irrational act, an act spurred by illness.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the act of killing herself done, the message was sent, and heard, and things started changing.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"We've got to act as if we owned the earrth," Archer agreed.
Tom Slade with the Boys Over There|Percy K. Fitzhugh
Like rats, mice appear to act in companies, either under leadership or by common consent.
Natural History in Anecdote|Various
The young idlers of rich Palermo intrigued to be introduced to her and threw enormous nosegays to her at the end of every act.
Corleone|F. Marion Crawford
For we would keep the theory in mind by visible signs, which act most powerfully upon the minds of children.
Guide to the Kindergarten and Intermediate Class and Moral Culture of Infancy.|Elizabeth P. Peabody
The undemonstrativeness of the act, so unlike her usual volcanic energy, touched him out of prudence.
The Californians|Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton
British Dictionary definitions for act (1 of 3)
act
/ (ækt) /
noun
something done or performed; a deed
the performance of some physical or mental process; action
(capital when part of a name)the formally codified result of deliberation by a legislative body; a law, edict, decree, statute, etc
(often plural)a formal written record of transactions, proceedings, etc, as of a society, committee, or legislative body
a major division of a dramatic work
a short performance of skill, a comic sketch, dance, etc, esp one that is part of a programme of light entertainment
those giving such a performance
an assumed attitude or pose, esp one intended to impress
philosophyan occurrence effected by the volition of a human agent, usually opposed at least as regards its explanation to one which is causally determinedCompare event (def. 4)
verb
(intr)to do something; carry out an action
(intr)to function in a specified way; operate; reacthis mind acted quickly
to perform (a part or role) in a play, etc
(tr)to present (a play, etc) on stage
(intr; usually foll by for or as)to be a substitute (for); function in place (of)
(intr foll by as) to serve the function or purpose (of)the glass acted as protection
(intr)to conduct oneself or behave (as if one were)she usually acts like a lady
(intr)to behave in an unnatural or affected way
(copula)to pose as; play the part ofto act the fool
(copula)to behave in a manner appropriate to (esp in the phrase act one's age)
(copula)not standardto seem or pretend to beto act tired
clean up one's actto start to behave in a responsible manner
get in on the actinformalto become involved in a profitable undertaking or advantageous situation in order to share in the benefits
get one's act togetherinformalto become organized or prepared
See also act on, act out, act up
Derived forms of act
actable, adjectiveactability, noun
Word Origin for act
C14: from Latin actus a doing, performance, and actum a thing done, from the past participle of agere to do
British Dictionary definitions for act (2 of 3)
ACT1
abbreviation for
Australian Capital Territory
(formerly in Britain) advance corporation tax
British Dictionary definitions for act (3 of 3)
ACT2
/ (ækt) /
n acronym for
(in New Zealand) Association of Consumers and Taxpayers: a small political party of the right