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actuate. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
actuate, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
actuate in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
actuate you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Medieval Latin āctuātus, perfect passive participle of āctuō (“actuate, implement”), from Latin āctus, perfect passive participle of agō (“do, act”).
Pronunciation
Verb
actuate (third-person singular simple present actuates, present participle actuating, simple past and past participle actuated)
- (transitive) To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
- November 6, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler No. 67
- Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.
1906 January–October, Joseph Conrad, chapter IV, in The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale, London: Methuen & Co., , published 1907, →OCLC; The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Collection of British Authors; 3995), copyright edition, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1907, →OCLC, pages 68–69:I walk always with my right hand closed round the india-rubber ball which I have in my trouser pocket. The pressing of this ball actuates a detonator inside the flask I carry in my pocket. It's the principle of the pneumatic instantaneous shutter for a camera lens.
- (transitive) To incite to action; to motivate.
- 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, 2. ed., London, Oxford University Press, 1973. § 11.
- A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion.
1712 January 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, December 22, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 255; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, , volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.
Derived terms
Translations
to activate; put into motion
to incite to action
- Bulgarian: подбуждам към действие (podbuždam kǎm dejstvie)
- Czech: podněcovat
- Dutch: aanzetten (nl)
- Estonian: rakendama
- Finnish: kannustaa (fi), motivoida (fi), innostaa (fi)
- German: antreiben (de), anstacheln (de), motivieren (de), bewegen (de)
- Latin: stimulō, acuō, excitō, incitō, incendō
- Polish: pobudzać (pl)
- Portuguese: estimular (pt)
- Russian: побужда́ть к де́йствию impf (pobuždátʹ k déjstviju), побуди́ть к де́йствию impf (pobudítʹ k déjstviju)
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See also
Latin
Verb
āctuāte
- second-person plural present active imperative of āctuō
Spanish
Verb
actuate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of actuar combined with te