English > playing: 3 senses > noun 3, act| Meaning | The performance of a part or role in a drama. |
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| Synonyms | acting, playacting, performing |
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| Part of | performance | The act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment |
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| Narrower | business, stage business, byplay | Incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect |
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| hamming, overacting | poor acting by a ham actor |
| heroics | ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct |
| impersonation, personation | imitating the mannerisms of another person |
| method acting, method | An acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed |
| mime, pantomime, dumb show | A performance using gestures and body movements without words |
| portrayal, characterization, enactment, personation | Acting the part of a character on stage |
| reenactment | Performing a role in an event that occurred at an earlier time |
| roleplaying | Acting a particular role (as in psychotherapy) |
| skit | A short theatrical episode |
| Broader | activity | Any specific behavior |
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| performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance |
| Spanish | actuación, dramatización, interpretación, juego, representación |
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| Catalan | actuació, interpretació, representació |
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| Verbs | play | play a role or part |
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| play | perform on a stage or theater |
