English → Latin
“act” in Latin
agōto act, to behave; to do; to make (something that does not continue to exist after the maker stops)rēctusled straight along, drawn in a straight line, straight, upright.; right, correct, proper, appropriate, befitting.; moralfaciōto do (particularly as a specific instance or occasion of doing); to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect; to mfacinusdeed, action, doing; adventure, venture, undertaking; crime, wickedness, evil deedopuswork, labor, accomplishment; workmanship, artwork, work (of art, literature, etc.); need, necessityfactumfact, deed, act, doing, work; exploit, feat, accomplishment, achievementactaseashore, beach; holidayāctiōaction; a doing or performing, behavior; public function, civil act; suit, process, actiontabulatablet, sometimes a tablet covered with wax for writing; board or plank; map, painting, document or other item put onto ēgregiusdistinguished, excellent, eminent; illustrious, honorable
The English word act itself goes back to Latin agō, through ācta.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
act v.
Do, agere, facere (agere, like πράττειν, refers more to the simple acting than to the results of it; facere, like ποιεῖν, refers to the action qnd its results: to act well or ill, recte or male agere, and recte or male facere; but the latter only so far as the effect of the action is, or is not, what it should be).
Behare. se gerere (e.g., shamefully). To act like a man, virum se praestare.
Exert force, vim habere (not vim exserere, which is not Latin): efficacem esse (to work or be effective). The medicine acts, cincipitur venis medicamentum: does not act meicamentum imbecillius est quam morbus: the medicine acts so powerfully, tanta vis est medicamenti: the medicine acts well, commode facit (Cels.). To act upon anything, vim habere or exercere in aliquid: on anybody, aliquem or alicujus animum movere, commovere. It acts upon me in different ways, vanie afficior aliqua re. It acts differently upon me, aliquid aliter fero.
To be in effective action; of things, in effectu esse (e.g., machines).
Act a part on the stage, or in life, agere aliquem or alicujus partes; alicujus personam tueri (not alicujus personam agere): simulare aliquem, or with accusative and infinitive (to pretend to be anybody). Ludere aliquem unclassical; exhibere aliquem un-Latin. To act a play, fabulam agere (not fabulam docere, which is said of the auther only). To forbid the players to act, histrionibus ecenam interdicere (Su.). The players will not act to-night, *histriones hodie in scenam non prodibunt.
act s.
factum (what has been actually done): facinus (deed, contemplated as the act of a free agent, and as an evidence of strength of character, for good or for evil): opus (work; the product of a faciens).
Acts, facta (general term): res gestae gesta, orum, sometimes res only (acts performed in the line of one’s duty or office; especially exploits, achievements in war): acta (actions performed according to particular rules; measures, e.g., of a politician): actiones (doings; goings on; implying a continued course. Herzog, ad B. Civ., 1, 5). Acts of the Apostles, *Apostolorum acta or res gestae.
A noble act, egregie or egregium factum; facinus praeclarum. An immortal act, facinus or opus immortale. Honorable, glorious act, laudes, decora, plur. To perform an act, facinus facere, conticere; opus edere. A wicked act, facinus, flagitium scelus committere; scelus facere, perficere, admittere.
In the very act, in manifesto facinore (e.g., to be caught, deprehendi; in re praesenti is, on the spot where the occurrence took place.
Act of amnesty, oblivio sempiterna (Cic.): oblivio quam Athenienses ἀμνηστίαν vocant (Val. Max.): lex ne quis ante actarum rerum accusetur, neve multetur (a law). Vid: AMNESTY.
Acts of a court, tabulae (general term): litterae publicae (archives) acta publica, or acta only (recorded proceedings of the Senate, people, or individual magistrates). To record in the acts, m acta referre. To be contained in the acts. in actis esse.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for act?
- The usual Latin words for “act” are agō, rēctus, faciō; also facinus, opus, factum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.