act

plural acts

1. countableSomething done, a deed.

   an act of goodwill

   1 more example

   That best portion of a good man's life, / His little, nameless, unremembered acts / Of kindness and of love.

   1798, William Wordsworth, Lines

   Synonyms: deed

2. obsoleteuncountableActuality.

   The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterward grow to be.

   [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)

3. countableuncountablelifestyleSomething done once and for all, as distinguished from a work.
4. countablelawA product of a legislative body, a statute.

   But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.

   2012 March 28, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87

   Synonyms: statute

5. countablelaw(In the United States) A legislative proposal, a bill that has not yet become law.

   Under current law, employers can drag out the union election process... Under the PRO Act, workers and the NLRB set union election procedures. The employer is not involved.

   2021 February 4, Celine McNicholas, Margaret Poydock, Lynn Rhinehart, “How the PRO Act restores workers' rights to unionize”, in Economic Policy Institute

6. countableuncountableThe process of doing something.

   He was caught in the act of stealing.

7. countableA formal or official record of something done.
8. countablebroadcastingA division of a theatrical performance.

   The pivotal moment in the play was in the first scene of the second act.

   1 more example

   “H'm !” he said, “so, so—it is a tragedy in a prologue and three acts. I am going down this afternoon to see the curtain fall for the third time on what […] will prove a good burlesque ; but it all began dramatically enough. It was last Saturday […] that two boys, playing in the little spinney just outside Wembley Park Station, came across three large parcels done up in American cloth. […]”

   1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Lisson Grove Mystery”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020

9. countableA performer or performers in a show.

   Which act did you prefer? The soloist or the band?

10. countableAny organized activity.

    The minute you let it be known you're planning a sales campaign everybody wants to get into the act.

    1934, Babette Hughes, One egg: a farce in one act, page 46

11. countableA display of behaviour.
    1. countableA display of behaviour meant to deceive.

       to put on an act

       1 more example

       He said, "I'm just curious, is this for real or just an act? / Can't tell if you love or hate me, never met someone like that"

       2023 September 15, Tate McRae, Amy Allen, Jasper Harris, Ryan Tedder, “Greedy”, in Think Later, performed by Tate McRae

12. countableuncountableA thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student.
13. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountablelawEllipsis of act of parliament.
14. European UnioncountableuncountablelawA regulation (see Usage notes).

present singular third person acts · participle present acting · participle past acted · past acted · first person past singular acted · archaic present second person singular actest · past second person singular acted · archaic past second person singular actedst · present singular third person acts · archaic present singular third person acteth · past singular third person acted · past plural acted · past subjunctive acted · participle present acting · participle past acted

1. intransitiveTo do something.

   If you don’t act soon, you will be in trouble.

2. obsoletetransitiveTo do (something); to perform.

   that we act our temporal affairs with a deſire no greater than our neceſſity

   1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “Signes of Purity of Intention”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC, page 23

   2 more examples

   Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and facility of acting things expedient for us to do.

   a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number)”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC

   Uplifted hands that at convenient times / Could act extortion and the worst of crimes.

   1782, William Cowper, Expostulation

3. intransitiveTo perform a theatrical role.

   I started acting at the age of eleven in my local theatre.

4. intransitiveOf a play: to be acted out (well or badly).

   But whatever types he assumes, the need to have a good play which acts delightfully well before the audience, and to their delectation, is the dominant thrust. If the play acts well, the director gets the credits.

   2011, Effiong Johnson, Play Production Processes, page 180

5. intransitiveTo behave in a certain manner for an indefinite length of time.

   A dog which acts aggressively is likely to bite.

   2 more examples

   I believe that Bill’s stuck-up because of the way that he acts.

   He’s acting strangely—I think there’s something wrong with him.

6. copulativeTo convey an appearance of being.

   He acted unconcerned so the others wouldn’t worry.

7. intransitiveTo do something that causes a change binding on the doer.

   act on behalf of John

8. intransitiveTo have an effect (on).

   Gravitational force acts on heavy bodies.

   1 more example

   High-pressure oxygen acts on the central nervous system and may cause convulsions or death.

9. transitiveTo play (a role).

   He’s been acting Shakespearean leads since he was twelve.

10. transitiveTo feign.

    He acted the angry parent, but was secretly amused.

    1 more example

    With acted fear the villain thus pursued.

    1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

11. intransitivelawTo carry out work as a legal representative in relation to a particular legal matter.

    A lawyer cannot act until they have been formally instructed by their client.

12. intransitivemathematicsTo possess an action onto (some other structure). Examples include the group action of a group on a set, the action of a ring on a module by scalar multiplication, and the action of a group or algebra on a vector space via a representation.

    This group acts on the circle, so it can't be left-orderable!

13. obsoletetransitiveTo move to action; to actuate; to animate.

    Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul.

    1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC

14. ScotlandobsoletetransitiveTo enact; to decree.

comparative more act · superlative most act

1. InternetabbreviationclippingClipping of actually.

   james did u act enjoy that juice? looked like u were gagging icl

alternative A.C.T. · alternative A. C. T.

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of the Australian Capital Territory: a federal territory of Australia.

   Osteoporosis Australia is calling for the 'no hat, no play' policy in school playgrounds to be reassessed in the ACT and Tasmania, because children are not getting enough sunlight.

   2006 April 26, “'No hat, no play' rethink urged”, in ABC News, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2024

2. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of American College Test.
3. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, a political party of New Zealand.
   1. New ZealandgovernmentACT New Zealand, a liberal conservative political party in New Zealand.

plural ACTs · alternative A.C.T. · alternative A. C. T.

1. countableAn instance of a certain standardized college admissions test in the United States, originally called the American College Test.
2. abbreviationacronymuncountableAcronym of acceptance and commitment therapy.

plural Acts

1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of Act of Parliament.