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   act

   /akt/

   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 challenged a man who was seen acting suspiciously" Similar behavefunctionreactperformconduct oneselfacquit oneselfbear oneselfrare:comport oneselfdeport oneself
   • 3. take effect; have a particular effect: "blood samples are analysed to find out how the drug acts in the body"
   • 4. perform a role in a play, film, or television: "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 pretendplay-actshamfakefeignput it onbluffposeposturemasqueradedissembledissimulateinformal:kid

   noun

   • 1. a thing done; a deed: "a criminal act" Similar deedactiongesturefeatexploitmoveperformanceundertakingmanoeuvrestuntoperationventureeffortenterpriseachievementaccomplishment
   • ▪ a New Testament book immediately following the Gospels and relating the history of the early Church.
   • 2. a pretence: "she was putting on an act and laughing a lot" Similar pretencefalse displayshowfrontfacademasqueradecharadeguisepostureposeaffectationappearanceshamfakebluffhoaxmake-believeplay-actingfeigningshammingposturingposingcounterfeitsubterfugedissimulationdissemblancefabricationfalsificationinformal:a put-ona put-up job
   • ▪ a particular type of behaviour or routine: "he did his Sir Galahad act"
   • 3. a written law passed by Parliament, Congress, etc.: "the 1989 Children Act" Similar lawdecreestatutebillAct of Parliamentedictfiatdictumdictateenactmentresolutionrulingrulejudgementcanonordinanceproclamationcommandcommandmentmandatemeasurestipulationdirectionrequirementlegislationukasepronunciamento
   • ▪ 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.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › actAct Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word act as a noun and a verb, with synonyms, examples, and word history. Find out how to pronounce act, spell act, and cite act in different contexts.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishACT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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   Learn the meaning of act as a verb and a noun in English, with synonyms, antonyms, and idioms. Find out how to use act in different contexts, such as law, theatre, and business.

4. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishACT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   25 meanings: 1. something done or performed; a deed 2. the performance of some physical or mental process; action 3. the.... Click for more definitions.

5. People also ask

   What is act verb?

   • Definition of act verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary [intransitive] to do something for a particular purpose or in order to deal with a situation act to do something It is vital that we act to stop the destruction of the rainforests. + adv./prep. By acting quickly doctors saved his life.

   act verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford

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   What does act mean?

   • ACT definition: 1. to behave in the stated way: 2. to do something for a particular purpose or to solve a problem…. Learn more.

   ACT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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   What does act mean in a sentence?

   • When you act, you do something for a particular purpose. The deaths occurred when police acted to stop widespread looting and vandalism. [VERB] I do not doubt that the bank acted properly. [VERB adverb/preposition] If you act on advice or information, you do what has been advised or suggested.

   ACT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   What is an act in a play?

   • An act is only the representation of such a part of the business of the play as proceeds in an unbroken tenor, or without any intermediate pause. Can age itself forget that you are now in the last act of life? The antient choruses between the acts were probably sung, and perhaps the rest was delivered in a species of recitative.

   act, n. meanings, etymology and more - Oxford English Dictionary

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   What does putting on an act mean?

   • A piece of acting, a pretence; a display of exaggerated or feigned behaviour. Cf. to put on an act at Phrases P.8. We are doing an act; we are playing at being you and father. This might have been an act designed to impress us. Morry..tried to give the impression of a confident, successful salesman...

   act, n. meanings, etymology and more - Oxford English Dictionary

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   What is an act in a show?

   • An act in a show is a short performance which is one of several in the show. This year numerous bands are playing, as well as comedy acts. 14.

   ACT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › actAct - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com

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   When you do something, you act. A commercial that says "Act now!" means "Get up from the couch and order me! This minute!"

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

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and grammar of the verb act in English. Find out how to use act in different contexts, such as doing something, behaving, performing, pretending, having effect and more.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › actMeaning of act – Learner’s Dictionary - Cambridge Dictionary

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   Learn the meaning of act as a verb and a noun, with different senses and usage examples. Find out how to use act in phrases, idioms and law, theatre and performance contexts.

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

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   Something transacted in council, or in a deliberative assembly; (the name of) a decree or statute passed by a legislative body, a court of justice, etc. Cf. Act of Parliament n., enactment n. 2. Cat-and-Mouse, Marriage, Official Secrets, Riot Act, etc.: see the first element.