actuate

(redirected from actuates)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.

ac·tu·ate

(ăk′cho͞o-āt′)

tr.v. ac·tu·at·ed, ac·tu·at·ing, ac·tu·ates

1. To put into motion or action; activate: electrical relays that actuate the elevator.

2. To cause to take action: a speech that actuated dissenters.

[Medieval Latin āctuāre, āctuāt-, from Latin āctus, act; see act.]

ac′tu·a′tion n.

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.

actuate

(ˈæktʃʊˌeɪt)

vb (tr)

1. to put into action or mechanical motion

2. to motivate or incite into action: actuated by unworthy desires.

[C16: from Medieval Latin actuātus, from actuāre to incite to action, from Latin āctus act]

ˌactuˈation n

ˈactuˌator n

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

ac•tu•ate

(ˈæk tʃuˌeɪt)

v.t. -at•ed, -at•ing.

1. to incite or move to action; impel; motivate: actuated by selfish motives.

2. to put into action: to actuate a machine.

[1590–1600; < Medieval Latin āctuāt(us)]

ac`tu•a′tion, n.

actuate

To operate a mine-firing mechanism by an influence or a series of influences in such a way that all the requirements of the mechanism for firing, or for registering a target count, are met.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

actuate

Past participle: actuated
Gerund: actuating

Imperative
actuate
actuate

Present
I actuate
you actuate
he/she/it actuates
we actuate
you actuate
they actuate

Preterite
I actuated
you actuated
he/she/it actuated
we actuated
you actuated
they actuated

Present Continuous
I am actuating
you are actuating
he/she/it is actuating
we are actuating
you are actuating
they are actuating

Present Perfect
I have actuated
you have actuated
he/she/it has actuated
we have actuated
you have actuated
they have actuated

Past Continuous
I was actuating
you were actuating
he/she/it was actuating
we were actuating
you were actuating
they were actuating

Past Perfect
I had actuated
you had actuated
he/she/it had actuated
we had actuated
you had actuated
they had actuated

Future
I will actuate
you will actuate
he/she/it will actuate
we will actuate
you will actuate
they will actuate

Future Perfect
I will have actuated
you will have actuated
he/she/it will have actuated
we will have actuated
you will have actuated
they will have actuated

Future Continuous
I will be actuating
you will be actuating
he/she/it will be actuating
we will be actuating
you will be actuating
they will be actuating

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been actuating
you have been actuating
he/she/it has been actuating
we have been actuating
you have been actuating
they have been actuating

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been actuating
you will have been actuating
he/she/it will have been actuating
we will have been actuating
you will have been actuating
they will have been actuating

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been actuating
you had been actuating
he/she/it had been actuating
we had been actuating
you had been actuating
they had been actuating

Conditional
I would actuate
you would actuate
he/she/it would actuate
we would actuate
you would actuate
they would actuate

Past Conditional
I would have actuated
you would have actuated
he/she/it would have actuated
we would have actuated
you would have actuated
they would have actuated

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	actuate - put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate the circuits" activate, set off, spark, spark off, touch off, trigger, trigger off, trip initiate, pioneer - take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of; "This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants"
	2.	actuate - give an incentive for action; "This moved me to sacrifice my career" incite, motivate, prompt, propel, move cause, do, make - give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident" impress, strike, affect, move - have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd" move - arouse sympathy or compassion in; "Her fate moved us all"

actuate

verb

1. motivate, move, drive, influence, excite, urge, inspire, prompt, stir, spur, induce, arouse, rouse, get going, quicken, incite, instigate, impel They were actuated by desire.

2. activate, trigger (off), stimulate, set off, initiate, switch on, animate, kick-start (informal), set in motion, set going The engines overheated, actuating the fire extinguishers.

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

actuate

verb

1. To arouse to action or put in motion:

activate, animate.

2. To set or keep going:

drive, impel, mobilize, move, propel, run.

3. To put into action or use:

apply, employ, exercise, exploit, implement, practice, use, utilize.

Idioms: avail oneself of, bring into play, bring to bear, make use of, put into practice, put to use.

Translations

aktivovatpodněcovat

mover

rakendama

actionner activer déclencher mouvoir poursuivre

attivare muovere

pobudzać uruchomić

estimular

actuate

[ˈæktjʊeɪt] VT

1. [+ person] → mover, motivar
he was actuated by envy → estaba movido or motivado por la envidia
a statement actuated by malice → una declaración movida or motivada por el rencor

2. (Mech) → impulsar, accionar

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

actuate

[ˈæktʃueɪt] vt → déclencher, actionner

actuate

vt (lit) → auslösen; (fig) → treiben

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

actuate

[ˈæktjʊeɪt] vt (frm) (person) → spingere (Tech) (machine) → attivare
actuated by → animato/a da

References in classic literature ?

Should this enveloping force be interrupted in any direction a delicate instrument immediately apprehends the irregularity, at the same time imparting an impulse to a magnetic device which in turn actuates the steering mechanism, diverting the bow of the flier away from the obstacle until the craft's radio-activity sphere is no longer in contact with the obstruction, then she falls once more into her normal course.

View in context

The bordering States, if any, will be those who, under the impulse of sudden irritation, and a quick sense of apparent interest or injury, will be most likely, by direct violence, to excite war with these nations; and nothing can so effectually obviate that danger as a national government, whose wisdom and prudence will not be diminished by the passions which actuate the parties immediately interested.

View in context

Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me.