action
NOUN:
1. the process or state of acting, doing, or of being active:
The machine is not in action now.
2. something done or performed; a thing done; act; deed.
3. 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.
4. energetic activity:
a man of action.
5. an exertion of power or force:
the action of wind upon a ship's sails.
6. effect or influence:
the action of morphine.
7. way or manner of moving:
the action of a machine or of a horse.
8. the state or process of doing something or being active; operation.
9. movement or posture during some physical activity.
10. activity, force, or energy:
a man of action.
11. the force applied to a body:
the reaction is equal and opposite to the action.
12. the way in which something operates or works.
13. the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition.
14. initiative, enterprise:
a man of action.
15. an act of will:
an emergency requiring action.
16. the bringing about of an alteration by force or through a natural agency:
the action of water on rocks.
17. the most vigorous, productive, or exciting activity in a particular field, area, or group:
wants to be where the action is.
in law:
1. a proceeding instituted by one party against another.
2. the right of bringing it.
3. a legal proceeding brought by one party against another, seeking redress of a wrong or recovery of what is due; lawsuit.
4. the right to bring such a proceeding.
5. the initiating of a proceeding in a court of justice by which one demands or enforces one's right.
6. the proceeding itself.
Examples:
He was critical of the government's actions before the war; a military action against another country. —Merriam-Webster.
in medicine:
a change that occurs in the body or in a bodily organ as a result of its functioning.
in philosophy:
behavior which is voluntary and explicable in terms of the agent's reasons, as contrasted with that which is coerced or determined causally.
in physics:
1. a property of a system expressed as twice the mean kinetic energy of the system over a given time interval multiplied by the time interval.
2. the product of work or energy and time, usually expressed in joule seconds:
Planck's constant of action.
in military:
1. a military encounter or engagement; battle, skirmish, or the like.
2. actual engagement in fighting an enemy; military or naval combat:
He saw action in Vietnam.
3. a minor engagement.
4. fighting at sea or on land:
he saw action in the war.
5. an engagement between troops or ships.
6. combat in war:
gallantry in action.
in physiology:
a change in organs, tissues, or cells leading to performance of a function, as in muscular contraction.
in literature:
the main subject or story, as distinguished from an incidental episode.
ecclesiastical:
1. a religious ceremony, especially a Eucharistic service.
2. the canon of the Mass.
3. those parts of a service of worship in which the congregation participates.
in fine arts:
1. the appearance of animation, movement, or emotion given to figures by their attitude, position, or expression.
2. the combination of circumstances that constitute the subject matter of a painting or sculpture.
in theater, acting, and performing:
1. an event or series of events that form part of a dramatic plot:
the action of a scene.
2. one of the three unities.
Compare unity.
3. the manner or method of performing.
4. an actor's or speaker's deportment or expression by means of attitude, voice, and gesture:
An actor's words and actions should agree.
5. an event or series of events forming a literary composition:
Most of the play's action takes place in a courtroom.
6. the unfolding of the events of a drama or work of fiction; plot:
As the action unfolds, we learn more about the hero's family.
7. the movement of incidents in a plot:
a movie that is two hours of nonstop action.
8. the gestures or deportment of an actor or speaker.
9. the events that form the plot of a story, film, play, or other composition.
of mechanisms and instruments:
1. the mechanism by which something is operated, as that of a gun or a piano.
2. the operating mechanism, esp in a piano, gun, watch, etc.
3. (of a guitar) the distance between the strings and the fingerboard.
4. (of keyboard instruments) the sensitivity of the keys to touch.
5. an operating mechanism.
6. the manner in which a mechanism or instrument operates:
a drill's twisting action.
7. the degree of resistance of a musical instrument to being played:
Next in consideration is the "action" of the guitar, which from the standpoint of playability, is of utmost importance. — Aaron Shearer.
8. the response or resistance of keys in a keyboard-operated instrument to the player's or operator's fingers:
I went to the piano and played but had great difficulty... because the piano had such stiff action. —Horace Silver.
in finance:
the price movement and trading volume of a commodity, security, or market.
of animals:
1. the style of movement of the feet and legs (as of a horse).
2. a function of the body or one of its parts.
in betting:
the process of betting including the offering and acceptance of a bet and determination of a winner.
slang:
1. interesting or exciting activity, often of an illicit nature:
He gave us some tips on where the action was.
2. gambling or the excitement of gambling:
The casino usually offers plenty of action.
3. money bet in gambling, especially illegally.
4. the main activity, esp social activity.
in film (interjection):
1. a command given by a film director to indicate that filming is to begin.
See also cue.
2. used as a director's command to start filming part of a movie or television show:
Lights, camera, action!
British:
short for industrial action.
of a ball:
spin or rotation given to a ball or puck by throwing or hitting it in a particular way.
Origin:
1300–50; < Latin āctiōn- (stem of āctiō), equivalent to āct(us) (past participle; see act) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English accioun < Anglo-French < Latin. Dictionary 2: C14: accioun, ultimately from Latin āctiōn-, stem of āctiō, from agere to do, act. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 14th century. History and Etymology: Middle English accioun, borrowed from Anglo-French accion, borrowed from Latin āctiōn-, āctiō "activity, act, legal process," from agere "to drive (cattle), cause to move, do" + -tiōn-, -tiō, noun suffix of verbal action — more at agent. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
1. the process or state of acting, doing, or of being active:
The machine is not in action now.
2. something done or performed; a thing done; act; deed.
3. 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.
4. energetic activity:
a man of action.
5. an exertion of power or force:
the action of wind upon a ship's sails.
6. effect or influence:
the action of morphine.
7. way or manner of moving:
the action of a machine or of a horse.
8. the state or process of doing something or being active; operation.
9. movement or posture during some physical activity.
10. activity, force, or energy:
a man of action.
11. the force applied to a body:
the reaction is equal and opposite to the action.
12. the way in which something operates or works.
13. the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition.
14. initiative, enterprise:
a man of action.
15. an act of will:
an emergency requiring action.
16. the bringing about of an alteration by force or through a natural agency:
the action of water on rocks.
17. the most vigorous, productive, or exciting activity in a particular field, area, or group:
wants to be where the action is.
in law:
1. a proceeding instituted by one party against another.
2. the right of bringing it.
3. a legal proceeding brought by one party against another, seeking redress of a wrong or recovery of what is due; lawsuit.
4. the right to bring such a proceeding.
5. the initiating of a proceeding in a court of justice by which one demands or enforces one's right.
6. the proceeding itself.
Examples:
He was critical of the government's actions before the war; a military action against another country. —Merriam-Webster.
in medicine:
a change that occurs in the body or in a bodily organ as a result of its functioning.
in philosophy:
behavior which is voluntary and explicable in terms of the agent's reasons, as contrasted with that which is coerced or determined causally.
in physics:
1. a property of a system expressed as twice the mean kinetic energy of the system over a given time interval multiplied by the time interval.
2. the product of work or energy and time, usually expressed in joule seconds:
Planck's constant of action.
in military:
1. a military encounter or engagement; battle, skirmish, or the like.
2. actual engagement in fighting an enemy; military or naval combat:
He saw action in Vietnam.
3. a minor engagement.
4. fighting at sea or on land:
he saw action in the war.
5. an engagement between troops or ships.
6. combat in war:
gallantry in action.
in physiology:
a change in organs, tissues, or cells leading to performance of a function, as in muscular contraction.
in literature:
the main subject or story, as distinguished from an incidental episode.
ecclesiastical:
1. a religious ceremony, especially a Eucharistic service.
2. the canon of the Mass.
3. those parts of a service of worship in which the congregation participates.
in fine arts:
1. the appearance of animation, movement, or emotion given to figures by their attitude, position, or expression.
2. the combination of circumstances that constitute the subject matter of a painting or sculpture.
in theater, acting, and performing:
1. an event or series of events that form part of a dramatic plot:
the action of a scene.
2. one of the three unities.
Compare unity.
3. the manner or method of performing.
4. an actor's or speaker's deportment or expression by means of attitude, voice, and gesture:
An actor's words and actions should agree.
5. an event or series of events forming a literary composition:
Most of the play's action takes place in a courtroom.
6. the unfolding of the events of a drama or work of fiction; plot:
As the action unfolds, we learn more about the hero's family.
7. the movement of incidents in a plot:
a movie that is two hours of nonstop action.
8. the gestures or deportment of an actor or speaker.
9. the events that form the plot of a story, film, play, or other composition.
of mechanisms and instruments:
1. the mechanism by which something is operated, as that of a gun or a piano.
2. the operating mechanism, esp in a piano, gun, watch, etc.
3. (of a guitar) the distance between the strings and the fingerboard.
4. (of keyboard instruments) the sensitivity of the keys to touch.
5. an operating mechanism.
6. the manner in which a mechanism or instrument operates:
a drill's twisting action.
7. the degree of resistance of a musical instrument to being played:
Next in consideration is the "action" of the guitar, which from the standpoint of playability, is of utmost importance. — Aaron Shearer.
8. the response or resistance of keys in a keyboard-operated instrument to the player's or operator's fingers:
I went to the piano and played but had great difficulty... because the piano had such stiff action. —Horace Silver.
in finance:
the price movement and trading volume of a commodity, security, or market.
of animals:
1. the style of movement of the feet and legs (as of a horse).
2. a function of the body or one of its parts.
in betting:
the process of betting including the offering and acceptance of a bet and determination of a winner.
slang:
1. interesting or exciting activity, often of an illicit nature:
He gave us some tips on where the action was.
2. gambling or the excitement of gambling:
The casino usually offers plenty of action.
3. money bet in gambling, especially illegally.
4. the main activity, esp social activity.
in film (interjection):
1. a command given by a film director to indicate that filming is to begin.
See also cue.
2. used as a director's command to start filming part of a movie or television show:
Lights, camera, action!
British:
short for industrial action.
of a ball:
spin or rotation given to a ball or puck by throwing or hitting it in a particular way.
Origin:
1300–50; < Latin āctiōn- (stem of āctiō), equivalent to āct(us) (past participle; see act) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English accioun < Anglo-French < Latin. Dictionary 2: C14: accioun, ultimately from Latin āctiōn-, stem of āctiō, from agere to do, act. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 14th century. History and Etymology: Middle English accioun, borrowed from Anglo-French accion, borrowed from Latin āctiōn-, āctiō "activity, act, legal process," from agere "to drive (cattle), cause to move, do" + -tiōn-, -tiō, noun suffix of verbal action — more at agent. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.