act

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Latin ācta (“‘register of events’”), plural of āctum (“‘decree, law’”), from agō (“‘put in motion’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
act

Plural
countable and uncountable; plural acts

act (countable and uncountable; plural acts)

  1. (countable) Something done, a deed.
    An act of good will.
  2. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (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.

[edit] Synonyms

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

[edit] Meronyms

[edit] Holonyms

[edit] Derived terms

terms derived from act (noun)

[edit] Related terms

terms related to act (noun)

[edit] Translations

deed
state of existence
statute
process of doing
formal record of something done
division of theatrical performance
display of behaviour
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[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to act

Third person singular
acts

Simple past
acted

Past participle
acted

Present participle
acting

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.

[edit] Derived terms

terms derived from act (verb)

[edit] Related terms

terms related to act (verb)

[edit] Translations

to do something
to perform a theatrical role
to behave in a certain way
to respond to information
chemistry: to have an effect on
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

[edit] Anagrams

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