actuator

noun

ac·​tu·​a·​tor ˈak-chə-ˌwā-tər How to pronounce actuator (audio)
-shə-
: one that actuates
specifically : a mechanical device for moving or controlling something

Examples of actuator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The patent details a hydraulic actuator system designed to modify valve lift and duration in a single overhead camshaft (SOHC), four-valve engine. Utkarsh Sood june 17, New Atlas, 17 June 2025 The robot had elastic actuators in its legs, weighed roughly 50 kilograms, and was half a meter wide and under a meter long. ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025 Aerodynamics must be evaluated in real-time, while control systems must handle both slow joint actuators and fast jet turbines. Paul Ridden june 24, New Atlas, 24 June 2025 Every 40 seconds, as the mirrors are repositioned for their next long exposure, the actuators perform a new calculus to make a reflective surface that’s seemingly already perfect even more so. Michael Jones McKean, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for actuator

Word History

Etymology

actuate + -or entry 1

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of actuator was in 1652

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Cite this Entry

“Actuator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actuator. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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