Actualize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæktju.əlaɪz/

Definitions

1. To turn an idea, plan, or goal into reality by taking concrete actions
2. To bring into existence or make something happen as intended
3. To realize or accomplish something formerly only imagined or planned

Etymology: "Actualize" is a plain English formation: the adjective "actual" with the verbal suffix "-ize" attached. "Actual" itself comes from Late Latin "actualis", meaning active or real, and it has been in English since the Middle Ages. The suffix is the more interesting part of the story. It passed from ancient Greek, where verbs ending in "-izein" were common, through Late Latin "-izare" and Old French "-iser" into Middle English "-isen". Over time it became a productive tool for turning nouns and adjectives into verbs, and English speakers used it freely, so that "actualize" joined a long line of similar coinages. The word's meaning is simple and direct: to make something real or to bring something from potential into existence. Its core sense is the one the suffix supplies, a change of state, so "actualize" describes the process of turning an idea or possibility into a concrete fact.

Synonyms: realize, implement, execute, fulfill, achieve

Antonyms: neglect, ignore, abandon, halt, prevent