Word
enact
Phoneticsen·act
US/ɪˈnækt/
UK/ɛnˈækt/
Definitions
01to make into law
v. to officially make a proposed bill or rule into a law.
v. to establish a bill or decree as law through a formal legislative process. Transitive — requires a direct object such as 'law', 'legislation', or 'reform'.
“The government plans to enact new laws to protect the environment next year.”
“The legislature moved swiftly to enact the emergency measures, ensuring that the new regulations took effect before the end of the fiscal quarter.”
Formal
02to perform or act out
v. to perform a story, a play, or a specific action.
v. to represent or perform a role, scene, or action as if in a play. Often used in the context of 're-enacting' historical events.
“The children decided to enact a scene from their favourite book for the class.”
“The historical society gathered every summer to enact the famous battle, using period-accurate costumes and equipment to educate the public.”
Formal · Literary
03to put into practice
v. to put a plan or a suggestion into action.
v. to carry out or put into practice a particular plan, idea, or policy.
“It is time for the company to enact the changes we discussed in the meeting.”
“The board of directors struggled to enact the proposed structural reforms due to significant resistance from the regional managers.”
Formal · Academic
Real-World Examples
“Six states had already enacted new laws, while others had considered or failed to pass similar measures.” “If Meta did enact such changes, it would mark a significant alteration to the experience of its platforms.” Etymology
From Middle English enacten, from en-, from Old French en- (“to cause to be”), from Latin in- (“in”) and Old French acte (“perform, do”), from Latin actum, past participle of ago (“set in motion”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/enact