Meaning of “act” in the English Dictionary

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"act" in English

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actverb

uk ​ /ækt/ us ​ /ækt/

act verb (DO SOMETHING)

B2 [ I ] to do something for a particular purpose or to solve a problem:

[ + to infinitive ] Engineers acted quickly to repair the damaged pipes.
She acted without thinking.
Who is acting for/on behalf of (= who is representing) the defendant?
He never acts on other people's advice (= does what other people suggest).
Acting on impulse (= without thinking first) can get you into a lot of trouble.

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act verb (PERFORM)

B1 [ I or T ] to perform a part in a film, play, etc.:

Ellis Pike was chosen to act the part of the lawyer in the film.
Have you ever acted in a play before?
act the fool, martyr, etc.

› to behave in a particular, usually bad, way:

Why are you always acting the fool?

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Phrasal verb(s)

act as sth
act out
act sth out
act up

actnoun

uk ​ /ækt/ us ​ /ækt/

act noun (PERFORMANCE)

C2 [ S ] behaviour that hides your real feelings or intentions:

Was she really upset or was that just an act?

› [ C ] a person or group that performs a short piece in a show, or the piece that they perform:

a comedy/juggling/trapeze act
Our next act is a very talented young musician.

B1 [ C ] a part of a play or opera:

Shakespeare's plays were written in five acts.
The hero does not enter until the second act/Act Two.

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act noun (LAW)

› [ C ] specialized law a law or formal decision made by a parliament or other group of people who make the laws for their country:

an Act of Parliament
the Betting and Gaming Act
Almost two hundred suspects were detained in the UK last year under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The state legislature passed an act banning the sale of automatic weapons.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

be a hard/tough act to follow
do a disappearing/vanishing act
get your act together
get/muscle in on the act
put on an act

(Definition of “act” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"act" in American English

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actverb

us ​ /ækt/

act verb (DO SOMETHING)

› [ I ] to do something for a particular purpose or in a particular way:

[ + to infinitive ] The president acted quickly to bring federal aid to areas damaged by flooding.
She acted responsibly.
He acted as if he’d never seen me before.
She acted as (= performed in the position of) a tour guide for the group.
He said he was acting on (= doing something as a result of) the advice of his lawyer.

act verb (PERFORM)

› [ I/T ] to perform in a movie, play, or television show:

[ T ] He acts the part of a small-town lawyer.
[ I ] She has acted in lots of television sitcoms.

Idiom(s)

act your age

Phrasal verb(s)

act out
act up
act up
act up

actnoun [ C ]

us ​ /ækt/

act noun [ C ] (LAW)

› law a law made by Congress or another legislature:

an act of Congress

act noun [ C ] (PERFORM)

› one of a set of short performances that are parts of a show, or the person or group who performs one of these parts:

a circus act
fig. His story is just an act (= is pretended and not sincere).

› An act is also one of the main parts of a play or opera:

The play is presented in three acts.

(Definition of “act” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"act" in Business English

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actnoun

uk ​ /ækt/ us ​

› [ C ] something that someone does:

A partner may be held responsible for the acts of his co-partners committed in the name of the firm.
He has led an investigation into stock market manipulation and various illegal acts and swindles.
See also
action

› [ C ] also Act LAW a law or formal decision made by a parliament or other group of elected law-makers:

The 2010 act, with its requirement for a review of financial controls, has helped drive up the cost of corporate audits by as much as 50%.
be a hard/tough act to follow informal

› to be so good that it is unlikely that anyone or anything that comes after will be as good:

The company could lose momentum without its chief executive, who will be a hard act to follow.
get in on the act informal mainly UK US get into the act

› to take advantage of or become involved with something that someone else started:

There's always a debate in the machine room about the product, long before the marketing men and editors get in on the act.
get your act together informal

› to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way:

Mr Dinsdale said it was crucial that the Department of Trade & Industry got its act together.

See also

consolidating act

actverb [ I ]

uk ​ /ækt/ us ​

› to do something with the intention of achieving a particular result:

act to do sth Engineers will need to act quickly to repair the damaged pipes.
act quickly/swiftly/now Anyone who wants a fixed-rate deal should act now.
act decisively/improperly/responsibly It is now time for management to act decisively.
act against/in sb's interests There were claims that the management was acting against shareholders' interests.
Members should act in the best interests of the company.
act in good faith

› to do something believing that it is the right thing to do:

Although errors of judgement were made, at all times the company's staff acted in good faith.

Phrasal verb(s)

act as sth
act for/on behalf of sb/sth
act on sth

(Definition of “act” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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