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1. Dictionary

   Act

   /ak(t)/

   

   verb

   • 1. take action; do something: "they urged Washington to act" Similar take actiontake stepstake measurestake the initiativemovemake a movereactdo somethingproceedgo aheadmake progressmake headwaybe activebe employedbe busyinformal:get movingOpposite do nothing
   • 2. behave in the way specified: "they followed the man who was seen acting suspiciously" Similar behavefunctionreactperformconduct oneselfacquit oneselfbear oneselfrare:comport oneselfdeport oneself
   • 3. take effect; have a particular effect: "blood samples are analyzed to find out how the drug acts in the body"
   • 4. perform a fictional role in a play, movie, or television production: "she acted in her first professional role at the age of six" Similar performplayplay a parttake partbe an actorbe an actressbe one of the castappearinformal:tread the boards
   • ▪ behave so as to appear to be; pretend to be: "I acted dumb at first" Similar pretendplayactshamfakefeignput it onbluffposeposturemasqueradedissembledissimulateinformal:kid

   noun

   • 1. a thing done; a deed: "a criminal act" Similar deedactiongesturefeatexploitmoveperformanceundertakingmaneuverstuntoperationventureeffortenterpriseachievementaccomplishment
   • ▪ a New Testament book immediately following the Gospels and relating the history of the early Church.
   • 2. a pretense: "she was putting on an act and laughing a lot" Similar pretensefalse displayshowfrontfacademasqueradecharadeguisepostureposeaffectationappearanceshamfakebluffhoaxmake-believeplayactingfeigningshammingposturingposingcounterfeitsubterfugedissimulationdissemblancefabricationfalsificationinformal:a put-ona put-up job
   • ▪ a particular type of behavior or routine: "he did his Sir Galahad act"
   • 3. a written ordinance of Congress, or another legislative body; a statute: "the act to abolish slavery" Similar lawdecreestatutebillAct of Parliamentedictfiatdictumdictateenactmentresolutionrulingrulejudgmentcanonordinanceproclamationcommandcommandmentmandatemeasurestipulationdirectionrequirementlegislationukasepronunciamento
   • ▪ a document attesting a legal transaction.
   • ▪ the recorded decisions or proceedings of a committee or an academic body. dated
   • 4. a main division of a play, ballet, or opera: "the first act" Similar divisionsectionsubsectionportionpartsegmentcomponentbitpassageepisodechapter
   • ▪ a set performance: "her one-woman poetry act" Similar performanceturnroutinenumberitempiecesketchskitplayletdancesongshowproductionpresentationentertainmentinformal:gig
   • ▪ a performing group: "an act called the Apple Blossom Sisters"

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin actus ‘event, thing done’, act- ‘done’, from the verb agere, reinforced by the French noun acte.

   Scrabble Points: 5

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2. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitionact verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   Check pronunciation: act. Definition of act verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryact | definition in the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

   • Cached

   Learner’s Dictionary. Verb. Noun. act meaning: 1. to behave in a particular way: 2. to do something, especially in order to solve a problem: 3…. Learn more.

4. en.m.wiktionary.org › wiki › actact - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

   en.m.wiktionary.org › wiki › act

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   May 6, 2024 · act (third-person singular simple present acts, present participle acting, simple past and past participle acted) ( intransitive) To do something. If you don't act soon, you will be in trouble. ( obsolete, transitive) To do (something); to perform.

5. www.wordreference.com › definition › actact - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

   www.wordreference.com › definition › act

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   v. [ no object] to do something; carry out an action. to reach or issue a decision on some matter:[ no object* (~ + on + object)] Congress failed to act (on the tax bill). [no obj] to operate or function in a particular way: acted as manager. to produce an effect: The medicine failed to act.

6. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › americanact noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › american

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   to tell someone with force that they must not do something. See act in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Check pronunciation: act. Definition of act noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

7. www.oed.com › dictionary › act_nact, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary

   www.oed.com › dictionary › act_n

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   act, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary. Meaning & use. I. Something done; the action or process of achieving this. I.1. a1382–. In plural, with capital initial, and frequently with the. More fully Acts of the Apostles.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › essential-american-english › actACT | English meaning - Cambridge Essential American

   dictionary.cambridge.org › essential-american-english › act

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   noun. us / ækt/ B1. one of the parts in a play. something that someone does: an act of kindness. a law made by a government: an act of Congress. a way of behaving in which someone pretends to be or feel something: She’s not really upset – it’s just an act. (Definition of act from the Webster's Essential Mini Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)