enact

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

Synonyms of enact

• pass
• constitute
• legislate
• approve
• make

Examples of enact in a Sentence

Congress will enact legislation related to that issue.

The law was finally enacted today.

Recent Examples on the Web

In response to that decision – and the public backlash that followed – 45 states enacted eminent domain reform laws. — Aaron Walayat, The Conversation, 16 July 2026

First Amendment concerns The encounter mirrors concerns raised by press freedom advocates before the law was enacted. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

The standardized testing debate Faculty members leading the charge for SAT reinstatement want the change to be enacted in the 2027 admissions cycle. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

Decades later, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was enacted to conserve energy, once again shifting the start and end dates of daylight saving time. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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