Medical Dictionary

act out

vt \(ˈ)akt-ˈat\

Medical Definition of ACT OUT

:  to express (as an impulse or a fantasy) directly in overt behavior without modification to comply with social norms <act out an adolescent fantasy>
intransitive verb
:  to behave badly or in a socially unacceptable often self-defeating manner especially as a means of venting painful emotions (as fear or frustration)

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