actuate

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English

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Etymology

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From Medieval Latin āctuātus, perfect passive participle of āctuō (actuate, implement), from Latin āctus, perfect passive participle of agō (do, act).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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actuate (third-person singular simple present actuates, present participle actuating, simple past and past participle actuated)

  1. (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.
  2. (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.
      The spelling has been modernized.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Latin

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Verb

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āctuāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of āctuō

Spanish

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Verb

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actuate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of actuar combined with te