enacted; enacting; enacts
Synonyms of enact

transitive verb

1
: to establish by legal and authoritative act
specifically : to make into law
enact a bill
2
: act out
enact a role

Examples of enact in a Sentence

Congress will enact legislation related to that issue. The law was finally enacted today.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Similarly, the interplay enacted in the exhibition between Jafa’s and Prince’s work forces us as visitors to actively participate in a practice of juxtapositional thinking ourselves, producing a momentum that is at once menacing and enlivening. — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Around two dozen states have enacted some version of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which has been heavily promoted at the state and federal level by the AKA. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026 California and Texas enacted their first election-deepfake laws in 2019, but most states adopted theirs in 2024 or later. — Stefani Langehennig, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 In contrast, Bass said Israel is not committing genocide and vowed to oppose legislation that seeks to enact BDS at City Hall. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enact

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of enact was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Enact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enact. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: to make (as a bill) into law
enact legislation
2
: to act out
enact a scene from a play

Legal Definition

enact

transitive verb
: to establish by legal and authoritative act : make into law
enact a bill
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