act ( kt)n.1. The process of doing or performing something: the act of thinking. 2. Something done or performed; a deed: a charitable act. 3. A product, such as a statute, decree, or enactment, resulting from a decision by a legislative or judicial body: an act of Congress. 4. A formal written record of proceedings or transactions. 5. One of the major divisions of a play or opera. 6. a. A performance or entertainment usually forming part of a longer presentation: a juggling act; a magic act. b. The actor or actors presenting such a performance: joined the act in Phoenix. 7. A manifestation of intentional or unintentional insincerity; a pose: put on an act. v. act·ed, act·ing, acts v.tr.1. To play the part of; assume the dramatic role of: She plans to act Lady Macbeth in summer stock. 2. To perform (a role) on the stage: act the part of the villain. 3. a. To behave like or pose as; impersonate: Don't act the fool. b. To behave in a manner suitable for: Act your age. v.intr.1. To behave or comport oneself: She acts like a born leader. 2. To perform in a dramatic role or roles. 3. To be suitable for theatrical performance: This scene acts well. 4. To behave affectedly or unnaturally; pretend. 5. To appear or seem to be: The dog acted ferocious. 6. To carry out an action: We acted immediately. The governor has not yet acted on the bill. 7. To operate or function in a specific way: His mind acts quickly. 8. To serve or function as a substitute for another: A coin can act as a screwdriver. 9. To produce an effect: waited five minutes for the anesthetic to act. Phrasal Verbs: act out1. a. To perform in or as if in a play; represent dramatically: act out a story. b. To realize in action: wanted to act out his theory. 2. To express (unconscious impulses, for example) in an overt manner without conscious understanding or regard for social appropriateness. act up1. To misbehave. 2. To malfunction. 3. Informal To become active or troublesome after a period of quiescence: My left knee acts up in damp weather. Her arthritis is acting up again. Idioms: be in on the act To be included in an activity. clean up (one's) act Slang To improve one's behavior or performance. get into the act To insert oneself into an ongoing activity, project, or situation. get (one's) act together Slang To get organized.
[Middle English, from Old French acte, from Latin  ctus, a doing, and ctum, a thing done, both from past participle of agere, to drive, do; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]
ac ta·bil i·ty n. acta·ble adj. Usage Note: The words act and action both mean "a deed" and "the process of doing." However, other senses of act, such as "a decision made by a legislative body" and of action, such as "habitual or vigorous activity" show that act tends to refer to a deed while action tends to refer to the process of doing. Thus, people engage in sex acts but not sex actions. By the same token, a person may want a piece of the action, but not a piece of the act. The demands of meaning or idiom will often require one word or the other. But in some cases either can be used: my act (or action) was premature. |
act Noun 1. something done 2. a formal decision reached or law passed by a law-making body: an act of parliament 3. a major division of a play or opera 4. a short performance, such as a sketch or dance 5. a pretended attitude: she appeared calm but it was just an act 6. get in on the act Informal to become involved in something in order to share the benefit 7. get one's act together Informal to organize oneself Verb 1. to do something 2. to perform (a part or role) in a play, film, or broadcast 3. to present (a play) on stage 4. act for to be a substitute for: Mr Lewis was acting for the head of the department 5. act as to serve the function of: she is acting as my bodyguard 6. to behave: she acts as though she really hates you 7. to behave in an unnatural way See also act up [Latin actum a thing done]
ACT Australian Capital Territory
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  act - a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative bodynullity - something that is null (especially an enactment that has no legal validity) decree, fiat, edict, rescript, order - a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" | | 2. |  act - something that people do or cause to happenevent - something that happens at a given place and time action - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" acquiring, getting - the act of acquiring something; "I envied his talent for acquiring"; "he's much more interested in the getting than in the giving" effectuation, implementation - the act of implementing (providing a practical means for accomplishing something); carrying into effect mitsvah, mitzvah - (Judaism) a good deed performed out of religious duty recovery, retrieval - the act of regaining or saving something lost (or in danger of becoming lost) running away - the act of leaving (without permission) the place you are expected to be touching, touch - the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights" leaning - the act of deviating from a vertical position assumption - the act of assuming or taking for granted; "your assumption that I would agree was unwarranted" rejection - the act of rejecting something; "his proposals were met with rejection" sacrifice, forfeit, forfeiture - the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc. derivation - the act of deriving something or obtaining something from a source or origin activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" hire - the act of hiring something or someone; "he signed up for a week's car hire" wearing, wear - the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear" judgment, assessment, judgement - the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event; "they criticized my judgment of the contestants" production - the act or process of producing something; "Shakespeare's production of poetry was enormous"; "the production of white blood cells" stay - continuing or remaining in a place or state; "they had a nice stay in Paris"; "a lengthy hospital stay"; "a four-month stay in bankruptcy court" stop, stoppage - the act of stopping something; "the third baseman made some remarkable stops"; "his stoppage of the flow resulted in a flood" distribution - the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning legitimation - the act of rendering a person legitimate; "he has filial rights because he obtained letters of legitimation from the king"; "his parents' subsequent marriage resulted in his legitimation" proclamation, promulgation - the formal act of proclaiming; giving public notice; "his promulgation of the policy proved to be premature" | | 3. |  act - a subdivision of a play or opera or balletballet, concert dance - a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers drama, dramatic play, play - a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway" scene - a subdivision of an act of a play; "the first act has three scenes" opera - a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes | | 4. |  act - a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program; "he did his act three times every evening"; "she had a catchy little routine"; "it was one of the best numbers he ever did"performance, public presentation - a dramatic or musical entertainment; "they listened to ten different performances"; "the play ran for 100 performances"; "the frequent performances of the symphony testify to its popularity" | | 5. |  act - a manifestation of insincerity; "he put on quite an act for her benefit" | | Verb | 1. | act - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"interrupt, disturb - destroy the peace or tranquility of; "Don't interrupt me when I'm reading" aggress, attack - take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack" force - do forcibly; exert force; "Don't force it!" create - pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity; "Don't disturb him--he is creating" pay back, repay, reward - act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions satisfice, satisfise - decide on and pursue a course of action satisfying the minimum requirements to achieve a goal; "optimization requires processes that are more complex than those needed to merely satisfice" manoeuver, manoeuvre, maneuver - act in order to achieve a certain goal; "He maneuvered to get the chairmanship"; "She maneuvered herself into the directorship" dispatch - dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently; "He dispatched the task he was assigned" evade - practice evasion; "This man always hesitates and evades" race - to work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others; "We are racing to find a cure for AIDS" use - habitually do something (use only in the past tense); "She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally"; "I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall"; "They used to vacation in the Bahamas" play it by ear - decide on one's actions as one goes along, depending on the situation; "She didn't know what to expect from her new job, so she played it by ear" play - act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal" deal - take action with respect to (someone or something); "How are we going to deal with this problem?"; "The teacher knew how to deal with these lazy students" partner - act as a partner; "Astaire partnered Rogers" exert - make a great effort at a mental or physical task; "exert oneself" egotrip - act in a way that attracts attention; "This teacher always egotrips and the students don't like him" reciprocate - act, feel, or give mutually or in return; "We always invite the neighbors and they never reciprocate!" go, proceed, move - follow a procedure or take a course; "We should go farther in this matter"; "She went through a lot of trouble"; "go about the world in a certain manner"; "Messages must go through diplomatic channels" come close - nearly do something; "She came close to quitting her job" perform - perform a function; "Who will perform the wedding?" dare, make bold, presume - take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission; "How dare you call my lawyer?" engage, pursue, prosecute - carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in; "She pursued many activities"; "They engaged in a discussion" act on - regulate one's behavior in accordance with certain information, ideas, or advice; "The Founding Fathers acted on certain moral principles" interact - act together or towards others or with others; "He should interact more with his colleagues" react, oppose - act against or in opposition to; "She reacts negatively to everything I say" coact - act together, as of organisms volunteer, offer - agree freely; "She volunteered to drive the old lady home"; "I offered to help with the dishes but the hostess would not hear of it" refrain, forbear - resist doing something; "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping" | | 2. |  act - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"presume - take liberties or act with too much confidence quack - act as a medical quack or a charlatan menace - act in a threatening manner; "A menacing person" make - act in a certain way so as to acquire; "make friends"; "make enemies" freeze - suddenly behave coldly and formally; "She froze when she saw her ex-husband" wanton - behave extremely cruelly and brutally bungle - spoil by behaving clumsily or foolishly; "I bungled it!" toy, play - engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea" act as, act, play - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" act as, act, play - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" stooge - act as a stooge, in a compliant or subordinate manner; "He stooged for the flamboyant Senator" jest, joke - act in a funny or teasing way piffle - act in a trivial or ineffective way make - behave in a certain way; "make merry" make as if - begin or appear to begin an action; "He made as if to shake my hand" lose it, break down, snap - lose control of one's emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped" backslap - display excessive cordiality (towards); "he is always backslapping his colleagues at staff meetings" sauce - behave saucily or impudently towards footle - act foolishly, as by talking nonsense swell, puff up - become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger; "The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son" follow - accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of; "Let's follow our great helmsman!"; "She followed a guru for years" loosen up, relax - become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group" rage, ramp, storm - behave violently, as if in state of a great anger act up - make itself felt as a recurring pain; "My arthritis is acting up again" | | 3. |  act - play a role or part; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master"act as, act, play - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" make believe, pretend, make - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress" re-create - create anew; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" support - play a subordinate role to (another performer); "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" play - pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" act out, enact, reenact - act out; represent or perform as if in a play; "She reenacted what had happened earlier that day" act out - represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage; "She could act neurotic anxiety" impersonate, portray - assume or act the character of; "She impersonates Madonna"; "The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man" parody - make a spoof of or make fun of emote - give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role | | 4. |  act - discharge one's duties; "She acts as the chair"; "In what capacity are you acting?"serve - do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function; "He served as head of the department for three years"; "She served in Congress for two terms" criticise, criticize - act as a critic; "Those who criticize others often are not perfect, either" bank - act as the banker in a game or in gambling | | 5. |  act - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad"behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" act, play, represent - play a role or part; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" | | 6. |  act - be suitable for theatrical performance; "This scene acts well"playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | | 7. | act - have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"make for, wreak, bring, work, play - cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area" | | 8. |  act - be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasureplay - be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" drive around - drive without any particular aim; "we were driving around in the countryside on a fine Sunday morning" walk around - walk randomly; "We were walking around in the neighborhood to see whether we could find an open drugstore" | | 9. |  act - behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting"behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" sham, feign, simulate, assume - make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep" | | 10. |  act - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'"perform - give a performance (of something); "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" play - perform on a certain location; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" play - be performed or presented for public viewing; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" act, play, represent - play a role or part; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" stooge - act as the stooge; "His role was to stooge for the popular comedian" pantomime, mime - act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only; "The acting students mimed eating an apple" act - be suitable for theatrical performance; "This scene acts well" |
act verb 2. play, seem to be, pose as, pretend to be, posture as, imitate, sham, feign, characterize, enact, personify, impersonate, play the part of noun 4. deed, action, step, performance, operation, doing, move, blow, achievement, stroke, undertaking, exploit, execution, feat, accomplishment, exertion noun 5. pretence, show, front, performance, display, attitude, pose, stance, fake, posture, façade, sham, veneer, counterfeit, feigning, affectation, dissimulation act for someone stand in for, serve, represent, replace, substitute for, cover for, take the place of, fill in for, deputize for, function in place of act on or upon something 1. obey, follow, carry out, observe, embrace, execute, comply with, heed, conform to, adhere to, abide by, yield to, act upon, be ruled by, act in accordance with, do what is expected act up misbehave, carry on, cause trouble, mess about, be naughty, horse around ( informal) give trouble, give someone grief Brit., S. African give bother  Translations act [ækt] n → acto, acción f;
 ACT n abbr (= American College Test) → examen de fin d'études secondaires
act [ækt] n → acte m, action f; ( Theat) (= part of play); acte: [ of performer]; numéro m;
 act [ækt] n → Tat f; act of God ( Law) → höhere Gewalt f; to act the fool (Brit) → herumalbern; he is only acting → er tut (doch) nur so; it acts as a deterrent → es dient zur Abschreckungact on act vt: to act on sth ( take action) → auf etw +acc hin handeln
 ACT n abbr (= American College Test) → esame di ammissione a college
act [ækt] n → atto;
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