Act
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ækt/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Act is a noun meaning (countable) Something done, a deed.
Meaning
(countable) Something done, a deed.
More Meanings
- (theology) Something done once and for all, as distinguished from a work.
- (law, countable) A product of a legislative body, a statute.
- (law, countable) (In the United States) A legislative proposal, a bill that has not yet become law.
- The process of doing something.
- (countable) A formal or official record of something done.
- (countable, drama) A division of a theatrical performance.
- (obsolete, uncountable) Actuality.
Example Sentences
an act of goodwill
He was caught in the act of stealing.
The pivotal moment in the play was in the first scene of the second act.
The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterward grow to be.
Word Forms
- acts
- acting
- acted
- actest
- actedst
- acteth
Synonyms for act
Depending on context, synonyms include deed, statute, pretense, work, process, play.
Antonyms for act
Common opposites include refrain, forbear.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include work, number, process, operation, represent, enactment.
Related Dictionary Tools
Practice “act” in a Crossword
Recall this definition from a clue, use crossing letters, and review the word again when you solve it.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.