act

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“
Selling an Act to a Producer While any performer who owns his act is a producer in the sense that he "produces" his act, there are men who make a business of buying manuscripts, engaging people, and producing many acts in which they do not themselves play.

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Definitions (81)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (32)

  1. noun The process of doing or performing something: the act of thinking.
  2. noun Something done or performed; a deed: a charitable act.
  3. noun A product, such as a statute, decree, or enactment, resulting from a decision by a legislative or judicial body: an act of Congress.
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Examples (50)

  • The matter of the act is the same in both cases; but in the homicide_, there is nothing more than the act, whereas in murder there must be the intention, &c which constitutes the formal sin. —  Apologia Pro Vita Sua
  • It says, this act is the expression of an evil disposition, and it identifies the whole man with the particular act of which he was guilty. —  The Essentials of Spirituality
  • 5. And be it further enacted_, That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed ROBERT C. SCHENCK HENRY WILSON GEORGE S. BOUTWELL JAMES HARLAN JAMES S. ROLLINS W. T. WILLEY Managers on part of House. —  History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880. Vol. 2 (of 2) Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
  • On reflection, he thought that must be the reason they looked at him so queerly The Chief, however, gave no indication that his act was a rude or questionable one. —  The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands
  • We will leave them thus engaged, merely remarking that if the act was a weakness, it nevertheless seemed to do them a world of good After a considerable time had elapsed, Philosopher Jack left the Border cottage one day, went up to town, and presented himself at his old lodgings to Mrs Niven. —  Philosopher Jack
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

action ·  law ·  form ·  measure ·  result ·  habit ·  deed ·  crime

Used in the same contextWord Family

act:   acts ·  acted ·  acting
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old French acte, from Latin āctus, a doing, and āctum, a thing done, both from past participle of agere, to drive, do; see ag- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English act = French acte = Spanish Portuguese auto and acto = Italian atto; partly (a) from Latin actum (plural acta), a thing done, especially a public transaction, properly neuter of actus, past participle of agere, do; and partly (b) from Latin actūs (plural actūs), n., the doing of a thing, performance, action, division of a play, from agere, lead, drive, impel, move, cause, make, perform, do, = Greek ἂγειν, lead, drive, do, = Icelandic aka, drive, = Sanskrit √ aj, drive. Hence (from Latin agere), exact, redact, transact, cogent, exigent, agile, agitate, cogitate, etc.; see also ake = ache, acre, acorn, agrarian, agriculture, etc.
  2. from Latin actus, past participle of agere, lead, drive, impel, cause, make, perform, do: see act, n.
 

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/ækt/
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by peggy tharpe

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