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Acuate vs Actuate - What's the difference?

acuate | actuate |

As verbs the difference between acuate and actuate

is that acuate is (obsolete|transitive) to sharpen; to make pungent; to quicken while actuate is to activate, or to put into motion; to animate.

As an adjective acuate

is sharpened; sharp-pointed.

acuate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Sharpened; sharp-pointed.

    • Verb

    (acuat)
  • (obsolete) To sharpen; to make pungent; to quicken.
  • * Harvey
    • [To] acuate the blood.

    actuate

    English

    Verb

    (actuat)
  • To activate, or to put into motion; to animate.
  • * Johnson
    • Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion.
  • To incite to action; to motivate.
  • * 1748 . HUME, David Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. 2. ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. ยง 11.
    • A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion.
  • * Addison
    • Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it.

    Derived terms

    * actuator

    Related terms

    * actuation

    See also

    * actualise, actualize ----