From Medieval Latin āctuātus, perfect passive participle of āctuō ("actuate, implement"), from Latin āctus, perfect passive participle of agō ("do, act").

• (British) IPA: /ˈæktʃu.eɪt/, /ˈæktju.eɪt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈækt͡ʃu.eɪt/

actuate (actuates, present participle actuating; simple past and past participle actuated)

1. (transitive) To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
   • November 6, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler No. 67

     Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.

   • 1906 January–October, Joseph Conrad, chapter IV, in The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale, London: Methuen & Co., […], published 1907, →OCLC ↗; The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Collection of British Authors; 3995), copyright edition, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1907, →OCLC ↗, pages 68–69 ↗:

     I walk always with my right hand closed round the india-rubber ball which I have in my trouser pocket. The pressing of this ball actuates a detonator inside the flask I carry in my pocket. It's the principle of the pneumatic instantaneous shutter for a camera lens.

2. (transitive) To incite to action; to motivate.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, 2. ed., London, Oxford University Press, 1973. § 11.

     A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion.

   • 1712 January 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, December 22, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 255; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC ↗:

     Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.

     The spelling has been modernized.

• German: in Gang setzen, aktivieren
• Russian: приводить в действие

• German: antreiben, anstacheln, motivieren, bewegen
• Portuguese: estimular
• Russian: побуждать к действие