acting
noun
act·ing
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Definition of acting
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the art or practice of representing a character on a stage or before cameras
acting
adjectiveDefinition of acting (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: holding a temporary rank or position : performing services temporarily
acting president
2a
: suitable for stage performance
an acting play
b
: prepared with directions for actors
an acting text of a play
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Synonyms & Antonyms for acting
Synonyms: Adjective
ad interim, interim, provisional, provisionary, provisory, temporary
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of acting in a Sentence
Noun
Her acting is unusually good in this film. a new style of actingAdjective
The college's acting president will be replaced with a permanent one next fall. will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Peter Gaynor, said 4,000 federal responders; 6,000 National Guard members; and 40,000 utility workers were on standby. — Anchorage Daily News, "Dorian, back to a Category 3 hurricane, creeps up US coast," 5 Sep. 2019 My oldest sister, Cam, really wanted to do acting, but in Colorado at the time there wasnât as much of a business as there was in California. — John Wenzel, The Know, "Denver native Reece Caddell gets her big break on Nickelodeonâs âAll Thatâ reboot," 2 Sep. 2019 Plasencia accused Matter, a former campaign staffer, of acting as a spy for the Collins campaign and downloading campaign data to give to Collins. — Steven Lemongello, orlandosentinel.com, "State House candidate Benny Valentin accused of running campaign out of church, school office," 28 Aug. 2019 Excepting for an expansive, deeply screwball interpretive dance that occupies the entirety of the stage, Sharp offers a mastersâ thesis in the less-is-more school of acting. — Dominic P. Papatola, Twin Cities, "Review: âHot Asian Doctor Husbandâ really funny, but needs streamlining," 18 Aug. 2019 The warden of an institution in upstate New York has been named the acting warden at the jail. — Michael Balsamo, The Denver Post, "2 guards suspended and warden reassigned after Epstein death," 13 Aug. 2019 Elliana's version, while much cleaner technically than JoJo's, got similar feedback, particularly from fans, about the lack of acting and facial expressions necessary to really delve into the twisted character of Carrie. — Laura Hanrahan, Woman's Day, "Watch 'Dance Moms' Stars Elliana Walmsley and Lilly Ketchman Recreate Jojo Siwaâs Solos," 27 July 2019 The acting is part of that, especially from the adults; all four are expert, and Ms. Flood quite brilliant, at navigating the space where comedy and tragedy muddle. — New York Times, "Review: In âMake Believe,â Four Children Meet Their Inner Adults," 15 Aug. 2019 The acting, no surprise, is top-notchâwith Saoirse Ronan emerging as the breakout. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "The Little Women Trailer Is Finally HereâAnd People Are Very Excited," 13 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
While no one ever doubted Stone's acting skills, some did wonder how the funny, bright-eyed star of movies like Easy A and La La Land would gel with a character this, well, cruel. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "The First Look of Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil Is Here," 25 Aug. 2019 But the actress was so much more than a Kansas farm girl in a blue gingham dress, and her acting range reached far beyond the land of Oz. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "8 essential Judy Garland movies that aren't The Wizard of Oz," 23 Aug. 2019 Game of Thrones reigns supreme for this year's Emmy Awards, landing a record-breaking 32 nominations for its final season, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and multiple acting categories. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Here Are All 32 of Game of Thrones' Record-Breaking Emmy Nominations," 16 July 2019 In terms of the overall acting style, the fashion here entails an initial measure of restraint among the aristocratic main characters. — Mike Giuliano, baltimoresun.com, "Resistance is futile in Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost' in Ellicott City," 5 July 2019 But just last year, Maya made her acting debut as Jo March in the BBC's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic book. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Stranger Things Star Maya Hawke Was Raised By Hollywood Royalty," 18 Aug. 2019 Dacre's acting career started in 2010, while Zac has been acting since 2002. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "No, âStranger Thingsâ Star Dacre Montgomery and Zac Efron Are Not Related," 24 July 2019 Meghan Markle may be better known as the Duchess of Sussex these days, but her acting career isn't too far behind her. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Joked About Her Acting Career at The Lion King Premiere," 23 July 2019 In her personal life thereâs been a lot to unpack, tooâa cross-country move from New York to California, an agency switch to Ford Models, and delving into the notoriously competitive acting world. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "This Trailblazing Model Is Poised to Become TVâs Next Big Thing," 21 Mar. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acting.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for acting
acting
noun
English Language Learners Definition of acting
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the art or profession of performing the role of a character in a play, movie, etc. : the art or profession of an actor
acting
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of acting (Entry 2 of 2)
: performing a job for a short time : holding a temporary position
See the full definition for acting in the English Language Learners Dictionary
acting
adjective
act·ing
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Kids Definition of acting
: serving for a short time only or in place of another
Teachers met with the acting principal.
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