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act

Pronunciation: /ækt/

The English word “act” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. Something done, a deed.
  2. Actuality.
  3. Something done once and for all, as distinguished from a work.
  4. A product of a legislative body, a statute.
  5. (In the United States) A legislative proposal, a bill that has not yet become law.
  6. The process of doing something.
  7. A formal or official record of something done.
  8. A division of a theatrical performance.
  9. A performer or performers in a show.
  10. Any organized activity.
  11. A display of behaviour.
  12. A display of behaviour meant to deceive.
  13. A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student.
  14. A regulation (see Usage notes).

verb

  1. To do something.
  2. To do (something); to perform.
  3. To perform a theatrical role.
  4. Of a play: to be acted out (well or badly).
  5. To behave in a certain manner for an indefinite length of time.
  6. To convey an appearance of being.

Etymology

From Middle English acte, from Old French acte, from Latin ācta (“register of events”), plural of āctum (“decree, law”), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. Compare German Akte (“file”). Partially displaced deed, from Old English dǣd (“act, deed”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.