actuate

verb

ac·​tu·​ate ˈak-chə-ˌwāt 

-shə-

actuated; actuating

transitive verb

1

: to put into mechanical action or motion

The pump is actuated by the windmill.

2

: to move to action

a decision actuated by greed

actuation

ˌak-chə-ˈwā-shən 

-shə-

noun

Synonyms

• activate
• trigger
• spark
• drive
• power

Choose the Right Synonym for actuate

move, actuate, drive, impel mean to set or keep in motion.

move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position.

moved the furniture

actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion.

turbines actuated by waterpower

drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus.

a ship driven aground by hurricane winds

impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus.

a candidate impelled by ambition

Examples of actuate in a Sentence

The pump is actuated by the windmill.

a light actuated by a motion detector

Recent Examples on the Web

Buttons are logically placed, too—including those that actuate its various drivetrain settings, more on that later—and the touchscreen and digital instrument cluster are of a reasonable size and run easy-to-use, lag-free software. —Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

When the body chamber is inflated, air actuates the robot: Its wings flap downward from their initially flat position. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 31 Dec. 2024

To enable more precise adjustments, the bike has twin throttle bodies with each pair of cylinders actuated independently. —New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024

When Lange released a chronograph variation in 2023, these pushers were repurposed to actuate the timing functions. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin āctuātus, past participle of āctuāre "to actualize," verbal derivative of Latin āctus act entry 1

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for actuate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

actuate

verb

ac·​tu·​ate ˈak-chə-ˌwāt 

-shə-

actuated; actuating

1

: to put into action

the windmill actuates the pump

2

: to arouse to action

actuated by the hope of winning