Action
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈæk.ʃən/
- Rhymes: -ækʃən
Origin
From Middle English accion, from Old French action, from Latin ÄctiÅ ("act of doing or making"), from Äctus, perfect passive participle of agÅ ("do, act"), + action suffix -iÅ; see act.
Full definition of action
Noun
action
(plural actions)- Something done so as to accomplish a purpose.
- A way of motion or functioning.Knead bread with a rocking action.
- A fast-paced activity.an action movie
- A mechanism; a moving part or assembly.a rifle action
- (music): The mechanism, that is the set of moving mechanical parts, of a keyboard instrument, like a piano, which transfers the motion of the key to the sound-making device.Marshall Cavendish Corporation Growing Up with Science p.1079
- (slang) sexual intercourse.She gave him some action.
- The distance separating the strings and the fretboard on the guitar.
- (military) Combat.He saw some action in the Korean War.
- (legal) A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio).
- (mathematics) A homomorphism from a group to a group of automorphisms.One of the earliest uses of groups, according to lore, was the study of the action of on the equilateral triangle.
- The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events.
- (art, painting and sculpture) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.
- (business, obsolete, a Gallicism) A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds.
- BurkeThe Euripus of funds and actions.
Derived terms
Related terms
Interjection
- Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually an act or scene of a theatric performance.The director yelled ‘Action!’ before the camera started rolling.
Verb
- (transitive, management) To act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.
- 2004, Ros Jay, Richard Templar, Fast Thinking Manager's Manual Chapter Fast thinking: project, ‘Here, give me the minutes of Monday’s meeting. I’ll action your points for you while you get on and sort out the open day.’
- 2005, Fritz Liebreich, Britain's Navel and Political Reaction to the Illegal Immigration of Jews to Palestine, 1945-1948 Chapter The physical confrontation: interception and diversion policies in theory and practice, Violent reactions from the Jewish authorities were expected and difficulties of actioning the new guidelines were foreseen.
- 2007, Great Britain: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Tax Credits: Getting it wrong? 5th report session 2006-2007 Chapter Case study: 11257, HMRC said that one reason they had not actioned her appeal was because she had said in her appeal form ‘I am appealing against the overpayment for childcare for 2003-04, 2004-05’, thus implying she was disputing her ‘overpayment’.
- (transitive, chiefly archaic) To initiate a legal action against someone.
- 1856, Thomas Chandler Haliburton, The Attaché: or Sam Slick in England, ‘I have no business to settle with you—arrest me, Sir, at your peril and I’ll action you in law for false imprisonment.’
- 1844, Robert Mackenzie Daniel, The Grave Digger: A novel by the author of The Scottish Heiress, “Scrip threatened me at first with an action for slander—he spoke of actions to the wrong man though—action! no, no no. I should have actioned him—ha! ha! ...â€
- 1871, Michael Shermer, In Darwin’s shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russell Wallace, I have actioned him for Libel, but he won’t plead, and says he will make himself bankrupt & won’t pay a penny.
- 1996, Darryl Mark Ogier, Reformation and Society in Guernsey Chapter Discipline: Enforcement, In 1589 the Court went so far as to effect a reconciliation between Michel le Petevin and his wife after she actioned him for ill treatment and adultery with their chambermaid.