The Latin root word act means “do.” Today we will “do” our best towards learning many words with the root act in them, so let’s just “do” it!
When people act, they “do” something. An act, therefore, is something “done.” For instance, actors act in a play or movie, or “do” their part. The acting provides the action or the “doing” of the play, except during intermission when there is inaction or no “doing,” at least on stage. The audience’s reaction to the acting is its “doing” back or response to what has transpired onstage. Hopefully the audience will react positively, or “do” back some loud applause!
For the purpose of one’s health, it is best to be active, or physically “do” activities such as running or hiking, which are better than being inactive, or not “doing” things. Before one’s health fails, it is best to be proactive, or “doing” things that tend to ensure one’s good health. And if one is exacting in exercising, that is, thoroughly “doing” it, one might not get sick hardly ever at all!
Imagine you buy a car. The “buying” is a transaction, that is, a “doing” where the buyer gets the car and the seller gets the money for the car. A car seller will probably not demand an exact amount of money, that is, making the buyer “do” a precise sum, but rather the seller will probably lower the stated price in an attempt to sell the vehicle. Hence, the actual or “done” amount will probably not be the sticker price, but rather something less than that.
Now that we have activated your knowledge of the root act, you will no longer not be able to “do” words with that root in them!
- act: to “do”
- act: something “done”
- actor: one who “does” her part in a play
- action: the state of “doing”
- inaction: the state of not “doing”
- activity: a “doing”
- reaction: a “doing” back
- react: to “do” back
- active: of “doing” things
- inactive: of not “doing” things
- proactive: of “doing” beforehand
- exacting: thoroughly “doing”
- transaction: a “doing” across from a seller to a buyer
- exact: a very accurate “doing”
- actual: of that which was “done”
- activate: to start something “doing”