acting

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act·ing

(ăk′tĭng)

adj.

Temporarily assuming the duties or authority of another. See Synonyms at temporary.

1. The occupation of an actor.

2. Performance as an actor.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

acting

(ˈæktɪŋ)

adj (prenominal)

1. taking on duties temporarily, esp as a substitute for another: the acting president.

2. operating or functioning: an acting order.

3. (Theatre) intended for stage performance; provided with directions for actors: an acting version of 'Hedda Gabler'.

(Theatre) the art or profession of an actor

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

act•ing

(ˈæk tɪŋ)

adj.

1. serving temporarily, esp. as a substitute during another's absence: the acting mayor.

2. designed, adapted, prepared, or suitable for stage performance.

3. the art, profession, or activity of performing in plays, films, etc.

[1595–1605]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	acting - the performance of a part or role in a drama performing, playacting, playing activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" personation, portrayal, characterization, enactment - acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture personation, impersonation - imitating the mannerisms of another person method acting, method - an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed dumb show, pantomime, mime - a performance using gestures and body movements without words byplay, stage business, business - incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious" performance - the act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment; "we congratulated him on his performance at the rehearsal"; "an inspired performance of Mozart's C minor concerto" skit - a short theatrical episode hamming, overacting - poor acting by a ham actor heroics - ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct; "heroics are for those epic films they make in Hollywood" reenactment - performing a role in an event that occurred at an earlier time; "the reenactment of the battle of Princeton" roleplaying - acting a particular role (as in psychotherapy) performing arts - arts or skills that require public performance
Adj.	1.	acting - serving temporarily especially as a substitute; "the acting president" impermanent, temporary - not permanent; not lasting; "politics is an impermanent factor of life"- James Thurber; "impermanent palm cottages"; "a temperary arrangement"; "temporary housing"

acting

noun

1. performance, playing, performing, theatre, dramatics, portraying, enacting, portrayal, impersonation, characterization, stagecraft She has returned home to pursue her acting career.

adjective

1. temporary, substitute, intervening, interim, provisional, surrogate, stopgap, pro tem The new acting President has a reputation for being independent.

Quotations
"The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing" [Ralph Richardson]
"Acting deals with very delicate emotions. It is not putting up a mask. Each time an actor acts he does not hide; he exposes himself" [Jeanne Moreau The New York Times]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

acting

adjective

Temporarily assuming the duties of another:

ad interim, interim, pro tem, provisional, temporary.

noun

1. The art and occupation of an actor:

dramatics, stage.

2. A display of insincere behavior:

act, disguise, dissemblance, masquerade, pretense, sham, show, simulation.

Translations

تـَمْثِيل مُؤَقَّتنَائِب، وَكِيل

zastupujícíherectví

fungerendeskuespil

amtierend Schauspielerei stellvertretend

αναπληρωτής ηθοποιία

actuación en funciones interino

näytteleminenvirkaatekevä

suppléant comédie intérimaire

glumaprivremeni

ügyvezetõ

starfandi, verandi

provvisorio recitazione supplente

演技臨時代理の

대행의연기

acteren waarnemend

fungerende konstituert skuespill

gra pełniący czyjeś obowiązki

interino representação arte dramática

действующий исполнитель

zastupujúci

dramska igra

skådespeleritillförordnad

การแสดงรักษาการแทน

oyunculuk vekaleten vekil

diễn xuấttạm đảm nhiệm chức

代理的表演

acting

[ˈæktɪŋ]

A. ADJ [headmaster, president etc] → interino, suplente

B. N (Theat) (= performance) → interpretación f, actuación f; (= profession) → profesión f de actor, teatro m
what was his acting like? → ¿qué tal hizo el papel?
this is acting as it should be → esto se llama realmente ser actor or actriz, así es el teatro de verdad
acting is not in my line → yo no soy actor
she has done some acting → tiene alguna experiencia como actriz
to go in for acting → hacerse actor

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

acting

[ˈæktɪŋ]

n [actor] → jeu m
to do some acting (in theatre) → faire du théâtre; (in movies) → faire du cinéma

adj → suppléant(e), par intérim
the acting President → le Président par intérim
he is the acting manager → il remplace (provisoirement) le directeur

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

acting

adj

→ stellvertretend attr, → in Stellvertretung pred

attr (Theat) → schauspielerisch

n (Theat) (= performance) → Darstellung f; (= activity) → Spielen nt; (= profession) → Schauspielerei f; what was the acting like? → wie waren die Schauspieler?; what was his acting like? → wie hat er gespielt?; I don’t like his acting → ich mag seine Art zu spielen nicht; he’s done some acting → er hat schon Theater gespielt; (professionally also) → er hat schon etwas Schauspielerfahrung

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

acting

[ˈæktɪŋ]

1. adj → che fa le funzioni di
he is the acting manager → fa le veci del direttore

2. n → recitazione f
to do some acting → fare del teatro (or del cinema)

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

act

(ӕkt) verb

1. to do something. It's time the government acted to lower taxes.

2. to behave. He acted foolishly at the meeting.

3. to perform (a part) in a play. He has acted (the part of Romeo) in many theatres; I thought he was dying, but he was only acting (= pretending).

noun

1. something done. Running away is an act of cowardice; He committed many cruel acts.

2. (often with capital) a law. Acts of Parliament.

3. a section of a play. `Hamlet' has five acts.

4. an entertainment. an act called `The Smith Family'.

acting adjective

temporarily carrying out the duties of. He is acting president of the society.

ˈactor – feminine also ˈactress – noun

a performer in a play.

act as

to do the work or duties of. He acts as head of department when his boss is away.

act on

1. to do something following the advice etc of someone. I am acting on the advice of my lawyer.

2. to have an effect on. Certain acids act on metal.

act on behalf of / act for

to do something for (someone else); to act as the representative of (someone). My lawyer is acting on my behalf; He is also acting on behalf of my mother; She is acting for the headmaster in his absence.

in the act (of)

at the exact moment (of doing something). He was caught in the act (of stealing my car).

put on an act

to pretend. I thought she had hurt herself but she was only putting on an act.

acting

→ تـَمْثِيل, مُؤَقَّت herectví, zastupující fungerende, skuespil Schauspielerei, stellvertretend αναπληρωτής, ηθοποιία actuación, interino näytteleminen, virkaatekevä comédie, suppléant gluma, privremeni provvisorio, recitazione 演技, 臨時代理の 대행의, 연기 acteren, waarnemend fungerende, skuespill gra, pełniący czyjeś obowiązki arte dramática, interino, representação действующий, исполнитель skådespeleri, tillförordnad การแสดง, รักษาการแทน oyunculuk, vekaleten diễn xuất, tạm đảm nhiệm chức 代理的, 表演

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

There was no thought of irreverence in such acting. On the contrary, these plays were performed "to exort the mindes of common people to good devotion and holesome doctrine."

And so the priests and monks fell upon the plan of acting the Bible stories and the stories of the saints, so that the people might see and better understand.

Then, too, the players ceased to be monks and priests, and the acting was taken up by the people themselves.

The upper part was open all round, and upon this the acting took place.

View in context

To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.

View in context

He came on the wings of disappointment, and with his head full of acting, for it had been a theatrical party; and the play in which he had borne a part was within two days of representation, when the sudden death of one of the nearest connexions of the family had destroyed the scheme and dispersed the performers.

Happily for him, a love of the theatre is so general, an itch for acting so strong among young people, that he could hardly out-talk the interest of his hearers.

This, though the thought of the moment, did not end with the moment; for the inclination to act was awakened, and in no one more strongly than in him who was now master of the house; and who, having so much leisure as to make almost any novelty a certain good, had likewise such a degree of lively talents and comic taste, as were exactly adapted to the novelty of acting. The thought returned again and again.

"True, to see real acting, good hardened real acting; but I would hardly walk from this room to the next to look at the raw efforts of those who have not been bred to the trade: a set of gentlemen and ladies, who have all the disadvantages of education and decorum to struggle through."

View in context

But the staginess of her acting was unbearable, and grew worse as she went on.

It is not good for one's morals to see bad acting. Besides, I don't suppose you will want your wife to act, so what does it matter if she plays Juliet like a wooden doll?

"Dorian, Dorian," she cried, "before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life.