: the art or practice of representing a character on a stage or before cameras
1
: holding a temporary rank or position : performing services temporarily
acting president
2
a
: suitable for stage performance
an acting play
b
: prepared with directions for actors
an acting text of a play
Examples of acting in a Sentence
Noun
Her acting is unusually good in this film.
a new style of acting
Adjective
The college's acting president will be replaced with a permanent one next fall.
will serve as acting president of the university until a permanent replacement can be found
Recent Examples on the Web
Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Additional acting credits across film and TV include Good Times, The Waltons, The Jeffersons, 227, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Nanny, Seems Like Old Times, Southern Comfort, Doctor Detroit, Ski Patrol and My Favorite Martian.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s loyal deputy and the acting Vice-President at the time of his ouster, has stepped into the role of the country’s interim leader.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
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Noun
The Sirens star says his passion for acting stems from his love of TV and wrestling.
—Adjective
The dual album nature of the tour – along with Grande's recent acting interlude – creates seemingly endless set list options.
—Cite this Entry
“Acting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acting. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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