Etymograph

English

enact

Enact comes from Latin ago ‘set in motion’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEago1‘set in motion’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEactum1past participle of ago
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enacten1
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1593enact1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English enact
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]: “The king enacts more wonders than a man.”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEagoWiktionary, English enact‘set in motion’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEactumWiktionary, English enactpast participle of ago
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enactenWiktionary, English enact
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1593enactWiktionary, English enact. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]: “The king enacts more wonders than a man.”

Linked words

through Latin ago ‘set in motion’

agency, agent, act, activity, active, actual, reaction, examine, examination, actor, agenda, transaction, ambiguous, squat, agile, ambiguity, agility, activate, assay, agitation, radium, cogent, actuator, actuation, exigent, redaction, inexact, actuate, redact, 93 more

through Latin actum

action, 1 more

Today it means

verb To make (a bill) into law.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “enact”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin ago / enact

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