Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.
Source: wiktionary
Actuate
//ˈækt͡ʃu.eɪt//
Synonyms for "actuate" (114 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesSynonyms
2 entriesRelated terms
2 entriesderived
5 entriesrelated to
8 entriessimilar
4 entriesTranslations
37 translations across 13 languages.
Bulgarian
3 entries- възбуждам verb (to activate; put into motion)
- задвижвам verb (to activate; put into motion)
- подбуждам към действие verb (to incite to action)
Czech
2 entries- aktivovat verb (to activate; put into motion)
- podněcovat verb (to incite to action)
Dutch
2 entries- aandrijven verb (to activate; put into motion)
- aanzetten verb (to incite to action)
Estonian
1 entries- rakendama verb (to incite to action)
Finnish
4 entries- innostaa verb (to incite to action)
- kannustaa verb (to incite to action)
- käyttää verb (to activate; put into motion)
- liikuttaa verb (to activate; put into motion)
German
4 entries- aktivieren verb (to activate; put into motion)
- anstacheln verb (to incite to action)
- antreiben verb (to incite to action)
- bewegen verb (to incite to action)
Greek
2 entries- ενεργοποιώ verb (to activate; put into motion)
- κινητοποιώ verb (to activate; put into motion)
Japanese
1 entries- 作動させる verb (to activate; put into motion)
Latin
4 entries- acuō verb (to incite to action)
- excitō verb (to incite to action)
- incendō verb (to incite to action)
- incitō verb (to incite to action)
Polish
2 entries- pobudzać verb (to incite to action)
- uruchomić verb (to activate; put into motion)
Portuguese
1 entries- estimular verb (to incite to action)
Russian
4 entries- побуди́ть к де́йствию verb (to incite to action)
- побужда́ть к де́йствию verb (to incite to action)
- привести́ в де́йствие verb (to activate; put into motion)
- приводи́ть в де́йствие verb (to activate; put into motion)
Spanish
2 entries- accionar verb (to activate; put into motion)
- accionar verb (to incite to action)
Sample sentences
4 total sentences available.
I walk always with my right hand closed round the india-rubber ball which I have in my trouser pocket. The pressing of this ball actuates a detonator inside the flask I carry in my pocket. It's the principle of the pneumatic instantaneous shutter for a camera lens.
Source: wiktionary
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.
Source: wiktionary
Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.
Source: wiktionary
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.