atto

act

noun AHT-toh Common

Origin: Latin actus (a doing, a performance), from agere (to do)

Also means

deed

Usage Note

Atto covers theatrical acts (il primo atto dell'opera, the first act of the opera), official documents (atto notarile, notarial deed), and deliberate actions (atto di coraggio, act of courage). The phrase in atto means 'underway' or 'in progress'. As a legal term, gli atti (the records/minutes) refers to official proceedings.

Examples

"Il secondo atto inizia tra cinque minuti."

Natural Translation

The second act begins in five minutes.

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