Idioms for act
Origin of act
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English
act(e) (from Middle French), from Latin
ācta, plural of
āctum “something done,” noun use of past participle of
agere “to do” (
āg- past participle stem +
-tum neuter past participle suffix); and directly from Latin
āctus “a doing” (
āg- +
-tus suffix of verbal action)
SYNONYMS FOR act
4
record.
synonym study for act
1. See
action.
OTHER WORDS FROM act
Words nearby act
British Dictionary definitions for act out (1 of 4)
act out
verb (adverb)
(tr)
to reproduce (an idea, former event, etc) in actions, often by mime
psychiatry
to express unconsciously (a repressed impulse or experience) in overt behaviour
British Dictionary definitions for act out (2 of 4)
ACT
1
abbreviation for
Australian Capital Territory
(formerly in Britain) advance corporation tax
British Dictionary definitions for act out (3 of 4)
ACT
2
/ (ækt) /
n acronym for
(in New Zealand) Association of Consumers and Taxpayers: a small political party of the right
British Dictionary definitions for act out (4 of 4)
act
/ (ækt) /
noun
verb
Derived forms of act
actable, adjective actability, nounWord Origin for act
C14: from Latin
actus a doing, performance, and
actum a thing done, from the past participle of
agere to do
Idioms and Phrases with act out (1 of 2)
act out
Perform or portray something or someone, as in As she read to the class, the teacher had each child act out a different character in the story. [c. 1600]
Express unconscious feelings or impulses through one's behavior, without being aware of it. For example, She acted out her anger at her father by screaming at her husband. This meaning comes from 20th-century psychological theory and usually (but not always) refers to negative or hostile impulses and emotions. The term is sometimes used without an object to mean “misbehave” or “behave disruptively,” as in The child is acting out in class. [First half of 1900s] In both usages, out means “openly” or “publicly.”
Idioms and Phrases with act out (2 of 2)
act