actuate

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To put into motion or action; activate: electrical relays that actuate the elevator's movements.
2. v. To move to action: a speech that actuated dissent.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To put into action; move or incite to action: as, men are actuated by motives or passions.
2. To make actual or real; carry out; execute; perform.
3. Synonyms Actuate, Impel, Induce, Incite, Prompt, Instigate. (See impel.) To actuate is merely to call into action, without regard to the nature of the actuating force; but it is very commonly used of motives: as, the murderer was actuated by revenge.
4. Impel, to drive toward, is expressive of more passion, haste, urgency, necessity; hence it is coupled with words of corresponding kind, and when used with quieter words it gives them force: as, youth impelled him.
5. Induce, to lead toward, is gentler by as much as leading is gentler than driving; it implies the effort to persuade by presenting motives, but is also used where the persuasion is only figurative: as, I was at last induced to go; he was induced by my example.
6. Incite, prompt, instigate are used only when motives irrespective of physical force are the actuating power. Incite is weaker than impel and stronger than prompt; it expresses more eagerness than impel; it implies the urging of men toward the objects of kindled feelings and generally of strong desire. Prompt is more general in its meaning, depending upon its connection for force and limitation; it is often preferred for its brevity and breadth of application.
7. Instigate, to goad on, is sometimes, but erroneously, used of incitement to good; it should be used only where the urging is toward evil. It generally implies that such urging is underhand, although that fact is sometimes explicitly stated: he was (secretly) instigated to his perfidy.
8. Put into action. South.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
2. v. transitive To incite to action; to motivate.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To put into action or motion; to move or incite to action; to influence actively; to move as motives do; -- more commonly used of persons.
2. v. obsolete To carry out in practice; to perform.
3. adj. obsolete Put in action; actuated.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. put in motion or move to act
2. v. give an incentive for action