the process or state of acting or of being active: The machine is not in action now.
something done or performed; act; deed.
an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity: a crisis that demands action instead of debate; hoping for constructive action by the landlord.
actions,habitual or usual acts; conduct: He is responsible for his actions.
energetic activity: a man of action.
an exertion of power or force: the action of wind upon a ship's sails.
effect or influence: the action of morphine.
Physiology. a change in organs, tissues, or cells leading to performance of a function, as in muscular contraction.
way or manner of moving: the action of a machine or of a horse.
the mechanism by which something is operated, as that of a gun or a piano.
a military encounter or engagement; battle, skirmish, or the like.
actual engagement in fighting an enemy; military or naval combat: He saw action in Vietnam.
Literature. the main subject or story, as distinguished from an incidental episode.
Theater.
an event or series of events that form part of a dramatic plot: the action of a scene.
one of the three unities.Compare unity (def. 8).
the gestures or deportment of an actor or speaker.
Fine Arts. the appearance of animation, movement, or emotion given to figures by their attitude, position, or expression.
Law.
a proceeding instituted by one party against another.
the right of bringing it.
Slang.
interesting or exciting activity, often of an illicit nature: He gave us some tips on where the action was.
gambling or the excitement of gambling: The casino usually offers plenty of action.
money bet in gambling, especially illegally.
Ecclesiastical.
a religious ceremony, especially a Eucharistic service.
the canon of the Mass.
those parts of a service of worship in which the congregation participates.
adjective
characterized by brisk or dynamic action: an action car; an action melodrama.
Idioms for action
in action,
performing or taking part in a characteristic act: The school baseball team is in action tonight.
working; functioning: His rescuing the child was bravery in action.
out of action, removed from action, as by sudden disability: The star halfback is out of action with a bad knee.
piece of the action, Informal. a share of the proceeds or profits: Cut me in for a piece of the action.
take action,
to start doing something: As soon as we get his decision, we'll take action.
to start a legal procedure.
Origin of action
First recorded in1300–50; from Latin āctiōn- (stem of āctiō ), equivalent to āct(us) (past participle) + -iōn- replacing Middle English accioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin ; see origin at act, -ion
SYNONYMS FOR action
1 movement, operation.
4 behavior.
12 brush, encounter, fight, skirmish.
15 plot.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR action ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR action
1 rest, inactivity.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR action ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for action
2. Action,act,deed mean something done. Action applies especially to the doing, act to the result of the doing. An action usually lasts through some time and consists of more than one act: to take action on a petition. An act is single: an act of kindness.Deed emphasizes the finished or completed quality of an act; it may imply an act of some note, good or bad: an irrevocable deed; a deed of daring.12. See battle1.
historical usage of action
English action comes from Middle English accioun, action, one of whose common meanings is in the legal domain: “a proceeding instituted by one party against another, or the right to bring such a proceeding.” Another common meaning in Middle English is “something done, an act, a deed.” The Middle English noun comes partly from Anglo-French and Old French and partly from Latin āctiō (stem āctiōn- ). Āctiō is formed from āc-, the perfect participle stem of the verb agere, and the noun suffix -tiō, which is used to form abstract nouns from verbs (here expressing action). Latin agere has as many meanings as English do or make. The original meaning of agere was “to drive (cattle, horses, goats, beasts of burden), ride (a horse), drive (a chariot).” Agere is from the same Proto-Indo-European root, ag- “to drive, lead, bring,” as Greek ágein “to lead, drive,” agōgós “a leader” (as in demagogue and pedagogue ). In Celtic, the participle aktos is the root of ambaktos, ambiaktos “one sent around, ambassador,” adopted from Gaulish into Latin as ambactus “servant, retainer.” Germanic adopted the Celtic word as ambachts “servant” in Gothic, ambacht in Old High German, and, much reduced, Amt “office, authority, post, duty” in German.
Rather, she advocated for affirmative action as a principle of equality of opportunity.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Forged A New Place For Women In The Law And Society|LGBTQ-Editor|September 23, 2020|No Straight News
That possibility represents the culmination of a decades-long plan of action by conservatives who specifically and deliberately targeted the nation’s courts.
How Presidents Have Shaped The US Supreme Court – And Why The Choice Of Its Next Justice Is So Crucial|LGBTQ-Editor|September 23, 2020|No Straight News
Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni called the actions of two Asbury Park officers a “textbook definition of a breach of the position of trust.”
How Criminal Cops Often Avoid Jail|by Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press|September 23, 2020|ProPublica
Bernstein said Wyatt’s actions helped the other hackers remain anonymous and that his phone account was used to send threatening text messages to relatives of victims.
Hacker sentenced to 5 years for targeting U.S. companies|Verne Kopytoff|September 22, 2020|Fortune
Bank stocks had sharp losses Monday morning after a report alleged that several of them continue to profit from illicit dealings with criminal networks despite being previously fined for similar actions.
Dow plunges 800 points in brutal selloff|Lee Clifford|September 21, 2020|Fortune
This is where much of the action will be for anti-LGBT groups.
‘Only God’ Can Stop Gay Marriage|Tim Mak|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Consider Nurse-Family Partnership, one of the best examples of evidence in action.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That action ignited protests that rocked Wisconsin and spurred a recall—only the second recall of a governor in U.S. history.
The Next Phase of the Koch Brothers’ War on Unions|Carl Deal and Tia Lessin|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is the right number for an action comedy which we want to have enough good action to work internationally.