enact

verb

en·​act i-ˈnakt 

enacted; enacting; enacts

transitive verb

1

: to establish by legal and authoritative act

specifically : to make into law

enact a bill

2

: act out

enact a role

enactor

i-ˈnak-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• constitute
• lay down
• legislate
• make
• ordain
• pass

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

Republicans are hoping to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, which caps how much money the Treasury Department can owe to pay the country’s bills, by up to $5 trillion this year as part of a larger package to extend expiring tax cuts enacted through Trump’s signature 2017 tax law. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025

The Florida Sheriff's Association announced in February that all county jails had signed agreements in compliance with a state law enacted in 2022. —Julia Ingram, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025

Political back-and-forth The Obama administration enacted among the most ambitious energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment to date. —David J. Vogel, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025

Later in the day, Rep. Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat, offered an amendment to strike the bill’s enacting clause, rendering the proposal moot. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for enact

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact
• intact

Kids Definition

enact

verb

en·​act in-ˈakt 

1

: to make (as a bill) into law

enact legislation

2

: to act out

enact a scene from a play

enactor

-ˈak-tər 

noun

Legal Definition

enact

transitive verb

en·​act i-ˈnakt 

: to establish by legal and authoritative act : make into law

enact a bill