enact

1 of 2

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

enactor

2 of 2

noun

en·​ac·​tor -ktə(r) 

: one that enacts

the new laws … fulfilled the fondest hopes of their enactors

—Oscar Handlin

Synonyms of enact

Verb

• pass
• constitute
• legislate
• approve
• make

Examples of enact in a Sentence

Verb

Congress will enact legislation related to that issue.

The law was finally enacted today.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Most of what is available on store shelves in Minnesota has five milligrams per serving, which was part of the state's own regulations enacted in 2022. — Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

When reached, the NYPD declined to comment further on the litigation, pointing instead to the oversight measures enacted following the incident, which included the disbanding of the Brooklyn North Narcotics unit involved in the arrest. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026

The most pressing question at the moment is whether these states will enact the compact before 2028, likely as a result of the midterm outcomes. — Anna Rahmanan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

If governments fail to enact these policies, and if, indeed, these policies fail to encourage a broader rise in fertility, the world will simply become more unequal. — Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

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