different between acuate vs actuate

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin acu?tus, past participle of acu?re, variant of Classical Latin acuere, present active infinitive of acu? (“I sharpen”), from acus (“needle”).

Pronunciation

• (adjective) IPA^(key): /?æk.ju.?t/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /?æk.ju.e?t/

Adjective

acuate (comparative more acuate, superlative most acuate)

1. Sharpened; sharp-pointed.

Verb

acuate (third-person singular simple present acuates, present participle acuating, simple past and past participle acuated)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To sharpen; to make pungent; to quicken.
   • 1764, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, The Life of Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury

     wicked dispositions shou'd have knowledge to acuate their ill intentions

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin ?ctu?tus, perfect passive participle of ?ctu? (“actuate, implement”), from Latin ?ctus, perfect passive participle of ag? (“do, act”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ækt?u.e?t/, /?æktju.e?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?ækt?u.e?t/

Verb

actuate (third-person singular simple present actuates, present participle actuating, simple past and past participle actuated)

1. (transitive) To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
   • November 6, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler No. 67

     Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.
2. (transitive) To incite to action; to motivate.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, 2. ed., London, Oxford University Press, 1973. § 11.

     A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion.

   • Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.

Derived terms

• actuator

Related terms

• actuation

Translations

See also

• actualise, actualize

Latin

Verb

?ctu?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of ?ctu?