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.

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.

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.