Dictionary.com

actuate

[ ak-choo-eyt ]
/ ˈæk tʃuˌeɪt /
See synonyms for: actuate / actuation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ac·tu·at·ed, ac·tu·at·ing.

to incite or move to action; impel; motivate: actuated by selfish motives.
to put into action; start a process; turn on: to actuate a machine.

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Origin of actuate

1590–1600; <Medieval Latin āctuāt(us) reduced to action (past participle of āctuāre), equivalent to Latin āctu(s) (see act) + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM actuate

ac·tu·a·tion, nounde·ac·tu·ate, verb (used with object), de·ac·tu·at·ed, de·ac·tu·at·ing.self-ac·tu·at·ing, adjectiveun·ac·tu·at·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH actuate

activate, actuate , stimulate

Words nearby actuate

actualize, actually, actuals, actual sin, actuary, actuate, actuator, act up, act upon, actus reus, act warning
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to actuate

activate, prompt, inspire, propel, move, influence, arouse, animate, quicken, incite, motivate, cause, instigate, excite, induce, rouse, spur, energize, drive, impel

Example sentences from the Web for actuate

British Dictionary definitions for actuate

actuate
/ (ˈæktʃʊˌeɪt) /

verb (tr)

to put into action or mechanical motion
to motivate or incite into actionactuated by unworthy desires

Derived forms of actuate

actuation, nounactuator, noun

Word Origin for actuate

C16: from Medieval Latin actuātus, from actuāre to incite to action, from Latin āctus act
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012