Play-acting
noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The acting of a play or plays; the occupation of an actor; dramatic performance. uncountable, usually
"Despite growing Puritan disapproval of play-acting, vehemently expressed in sermons and pamphlets, Charles's court was famous for its amateur theatricals."
- 2 The act of engaging in pretence or insincere behavior, often in order to mislead someone or gain an advantage. figuratively, uncountable, usually
"Children's games are often play-actings of adult roles and thus inculcate the values and customs of the culture in a way that formal schooling might neglect."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of play-act form-of, gerund, participle, present
Example
More examples"Despite growing Puritan disapproval of play-acting, vehemently expressed in sermons and pamphlets, Charles's court was famous for its amateur theatricals."
Etymology
From play-act + -ing.
More for "play-acting"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.