act vs act out

act is a noun but act out is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
act	Yes	No	Yes	No
act out	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, act out is a hyponym of act; that is, act out is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than act:

Other hyponyms of act include make, make believe, pretend, support, enact, reenact, impersonate, portray, parody, emote.

act (noun)	act out (noun)
something that people do or cause to happen
a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet
a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body
a short performance that is part of a longer program
a manifestation of insincerity

act (verb)	act out (verb)
behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself	act out; represent or perform as if in a play
pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind	represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage
discharge one's duties
play a role or part
perform on a stage or theater
behave unnaturally or affectedly
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected
be suitable for theatrical performance