Pronunciations (6)
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/ˈækʃən̩/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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[ˈækʃn̩]
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ˈakʃən̩/
Pronunciation notes
- British
- Northern-England
- Scotland
- Southern
- Standard
- Wales
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[ˈakʃn̩]
Pronunciation notes
- British
- Northern-England
- Scotland
- Southern
- Standard
- Wales
-
/ˈækʃən/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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ˈæk.ʃən
Noun
The effort of performing or doing something.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
Something done, often so as to accomplish a purpose.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Synonyms
A way of motion or functioning.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Knead bread with a rocking action.
Fast-paced activity.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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a movie full of exciting action
The way in which a mechanical device acts when used; especially a firearm.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Pressing a piano key causes the action of the hammer on the string.
The way in which a mechanical device acts when used; especially a firearm. The way in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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pump-action shotgun
A physical mechanism of a firearm or other device.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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More examples (2)
Spinola was hovering about the external fittings of the figure with unusual fussiness. When at length he released the left hand it seemed for an almost perceptible moment that the action hung. Then the arm descended and carried out the discard.
He then took from under his shirts in another drawer a very flat ·25 Beretta automatic with a skeleton grip, extracted the clip and the single round in the barrel and whipped the action to and fro several times, finally pulling the trigger on the empty chamber.
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.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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The run in bar 12 is almost impossible with this piano's heavy action.
The distance separating the strings and the fingerboard on a string instrument.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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You're getting fret buzz because the action is too low.
Sexual intercourse.
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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She gave him some action.
I hope to get a bit of action with the hot guy from the club.
Combat.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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He saw some action in the Korean War.
A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio).
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Synonyms
A way in which each element of some algebraic structure transforms some other structure or set, in a way which respects the structure of the first. Formally, this may be seen as a morphism from the first structure into some structure of endomorphisms of the second; for example, a group action of a group G on a set S can be seen as a group homomorphism from G into the set of bijections on S (which form a group under function composition), while a module M over a ring R can be defined as an abelian group together with a ring homomorphism from R into the ring of group endomorphisms of M (which is also called the action of R on M).
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
The product of energy and time, especially the product of the Lagrangian and time.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
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.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
spin put on the bowling ball.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds.
Usage- Countable
- Obsolete
- Uncountable
- Examples
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So saying he presented him with two actions of above two thousand livres each.
the Euripus of funds and actions
A religious performance or solemn function, i.e. action sermon, a sacramental sermon in the Scots Presbyterian Church.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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The Action Sermon is quite simply, then, the eucharistic sermon.
A process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings).
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
Purposeful behavior.
Usage- Austrian
- Countable
- Uncountable
A demonstration by activists.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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More examples (1)
The protest was set up in less than three weeks by an ad hoc group called Act Up […] According to Kramer, Act Up will continue AIDS-related organizing, possibly including an action at an early June Washington, D.C., AIDS conference for scientists worldwide.
The opportunity to act during a betting round.
Usage- Uncountable
- Examples
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The action starts with the small blind.
Heavy betting activity.
Usage- broadly
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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There was a lot of action on the flop; it was an action flop.
Interjection
Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually a performance.
- Antonyms
- Examples
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The director yelled ‘Action!’ after the cameras started rolling.
Adjective
arrogant
Usage- Manglish
Verb
To act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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‘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.’
Violent reactions from the Jewish authorities were expected and difficulties of actioning the new guidelines were foreseen.
More examples (2)
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’.
Do say: “I can action that for you going forward, my little summer squash.”
To initiate a legal action against someone.
Usage- Archaic
- Transitive
- Examples
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‘I have no business to settle with you—arrest me, Sir, at your peril and I’ll action you in law for false imprisonment.’
More examples (1)
“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! [...]”
I have actioned him for Libel, but he won’t plead, and says he will make himself bankrupt & won’t pay a penny.
More examples (1)
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.
Noun
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
- Broader terms
- Examples
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there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions
the state of being active
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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his sphere of activity
he is out of action
a military engagement
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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he saw action in Korea
a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)
- Broader terms
- Examples
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the action of natural forces
volcanic activity
the series of events that form a plot
- Broader terms
- Examples
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his novels always have a lot of action
the trait of being active and energetic and forceful
- Broader terms
- Examples
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a man of action
the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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the piano had a very stiff action
a judicial proceeding brought by one party against another; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
an act by a government body or supranational organization
- Broader terms
- Examples
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recent federal action undermined the segregationist position
the United Nations must have the power to propose and organize action without being hobbled by irrelevant issues
More examples (1)
the Union action of emancipating Southern slaves
the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field
- Broader terms
- Examples
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the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds
gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible
In firearms terminology, the mechanism that handles the ammunition (loads, locks, fires, and extracts the cartridges).
- Broader terms
Verb
institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against
- Broader terms
- Examples
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He was warned that the district attorney would process him
She actioned the company for discrimination
put in effect
- Broader terms
- Examples
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carry out a task
execute the decision of the people
More examples (1)
He actioned the operation