1a thing done; a deed:a criminal actthe act of writing down one’s thoughtsan act of heroism
(Acts or Acts of the Apostles) a New Testament book immediately following the Gospels and relating the history of the early Church.
2 [in singular] a pretence:she was putting on an act and laughing a lot
[with adjective or noun modifier] a particular type of behaviour or routine:he did his Sir Galahad act
3 (usually Act or Act of Parliament) a written law passed by Parliament, Congress, etc.:the 1989 Children Act
a document attesting a legal transaction.
(acts) dated the recorded decisions or proceedings of a committee or an academic body.
4a main division of a play, ballet, or opera:the first act
a set performance:her one-woman poetry act
a performing group:an act called the Apple Blossom Sisters
ზმნა
Universal
1take action; do something:they urged Washington to act [with infinitive]:governments must act to reduce pollution
(act on) take action according to or in the light of:I shall certainly act on his suggestion
(act for) take action in order to bring about:one’s ability to act for community change
(act for/on behalf of) represent (someone) on a contractual, legal, or paid basis:he chose a solicitor to act for him
(act from/out of) be motivated by:you acted from greed
2 [with adverbial] behave in the way specified:they challenged a man who was seen acting suspiciouslyhe acts as if he owned the placetry to act like civilized adults
3 (act as) fulfil the function or serve the purpose of:they need volunteers to act as foster-parentsa day-care centre which will act as a meeting place
4take effect; have a particular effect:bacteria act on proteins and sugar
5perform a role in a play, film, or television:she acted in her first professional role at the age of six [with object]:he acted the role of the king
[with complement] behave so as to appear to be; pretend to be:I acted dumb at first
[with object] (act something out) perform a narrative as if it were a play:encouraging pupils to act out the stories
[with object] (act something out) Psychoanalysis express repressed emotion or impulses in overt behaviour as a defensive substitute for conscious recall, typical of some behavioural disorders.
act of God
an instance of uncontrollable natural forces in operation:the flooding was surely an act of God
act of grace
a privilege or concession that cannot be claimed as a right:the bonus remains a payment made as an act of grace
catch someone in the act
surprise someone in the process of doing something wrong:the thieves were caught in the act
get one's act together
informal galvanize oneself into organizing one’s affairs effectively.
get (or be) in on the act
informal become (or be) involved in a particular activity, in order to gain an advantage:many German breeders want to get in on the act
a hard (or tough) act to follow
an achievement or performance which sets a standard regarded as being hard for others to measure up to:it was not easy being the second President of the United States; George Washington was a hard act to follow
in the act of
in the process of:they photographed him in the act of reading other people’s mail
act up
1 informal (of a thing) fail to function properly:the plane’s engine was acting up
behave badly:all children talk back and act up from time to time
2be promoted to a more senior position on a temporary basis.
