Dictionary.net

the state of being active; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action"

a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea"

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

an act by a government body or supranational organization; "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"; "the Union action of emancipating Southern slaves"

the trait of being active and energetic and forceful; "a man of action"

the series of events that form a plot; "his novels always have a lot of action"

a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings); "the action of natural forces"; "volcanic activity"

put in effect; "carry out a task"; "execute the decision of the people"; "He actioned the operation"

the state of being active; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action"

a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea"

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

the trait of being active and energetic and forceful; "a man of action"

the series of events that form a plot; "his novels always have a lot of action"

An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.

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.

Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action.

Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun.

Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as, the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice.

Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings.

A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense.

A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim.

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks.

An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action.

The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player's finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe.

An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.

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.

Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action.

Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun.

Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as, the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice.

Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings.

A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense.

A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim.

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks.

An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action.

The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player's finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe.

Another term for a lawsuit. For example, a plaintiff might say, "I began this negligence action last fall after the defendant, Ms. Adams, struck me while I was crossing the street at Elm and Main."

The state of being in motion, as opposed to that of being at rest; the doing of something; the effect of one body or substance upon another; only when singular; something done; conduct; behavior: only when plural; a suit begun by one party against another in a court of law; effective motion, as of machinery; a military or naval engagement.

1. The performance of any of the vital functions, the manner of such performance, or the result of the same. 2. The exertion of any force or power, physical, chemical, or mental.

The work of a function; a morbid process.

A state of acting: a deed: operation: gesture: a battle: a lawsuit.

A deed; operation; gesture; a battle; a lawsuit.

The process or mode of acting; operation; activity.

The thing done; deed; a battle; lawsuit.

The state of acting or being active; operation; a deed; conduct; behaviour; gesture in speaking; an engagement between troops of war. A suit or process in the form of claim. The normal or abnormal performance of the function of an organ. The series of events in a piece, called also the subject or fable. The attitude or position of the several parts of the body in a work of art, as expressive of passion. In France, action is a share in the capital stock of a company, equivalent to our term share.

The state of acting or moving; force exerted by one body on another; a deed; a battle.

Mode in which one object influences another. The animal actions are those that occur in the animal body: the vital, those that are essential to life: the physiological, those of a healthy character: the pathological or morbid, those that occur in disease, &c. The ancients divided the physiological actions into vital, animal, natural, sexual, particular, general, &c. See Function.

In mechanics, the effect of a force, whether apparent or concealed.

Any chemical change. See reaction.

In physiology, the performance of a function.

In pathology, a morbid process, e. g., febrile a.

In therapeutics, the operation of a drug. [Lat.]

n. Exertion of power or force; motion produced; agency;—an act or thing done; a deed; conduct; behaviour; demeanour;—gesture or gesticu­lation ;—a suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice ;—an engagement between troops in war.

The quality or state acting opposite to rest; an act or thing done, a deed; agency, operation; the series of events represented in a fable; gesticulation, the accordance of the motions of the body with the words spoken; a term in law.