Noun Action Definition and Examples

Action

noun

The fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim.

1. 'strike action was threatened'
2. 'Elections are the paramount means for influencing governmental action.'
3. 'As with all security audits, should the results require remedial action, such actions will be taken.'
4. 'If so, it is important to know your rights and how to take action against unfair work practices.'
5. 'Assuming that the figures are an effective measure of overall hospital performance, what action should then follow?'
6. 'I know that some have argued that we should take action to achieve a very much smaller population.'
7. 'I did in fact take action at that time on advice from officials to address these concerns.'
8. 'She said emissions to air, waste management and water eutrophication required urgent action.'
9. 'People need to write their Congressmen about this and demand the Army take action.'
10. 'But the speech had had the desired effect: public health action had finally been galvanised.'
11. 'What can be done about it and what effects will any action have on the rest of the economy and the environment?'
12. 'Prevent major spills which can form a hard glaze and destroy the chemical oxidizing action.'
13. 'The Hox genes exert this influence by their action on the genes controlling the development of these structures.'
14. 'This effect could be the consequence of the anti-proliferative action of glucocorticoids.'
15. 'Syrup alone may act as a demulcent and provide antitussive action without side effects.'
16. 'That very specificity of chemical action is often a highly prized medicinal property.'
17. 'The tetrodo-toxin produced has a selective blocking effect on nerve action potentials.'
18. 'I think the chemical action of light is to be regarded in this way.'
19. 'the rank and file want to call the action off'
20. 'The apparent rejection of collective action has lead to trade union membership remaining low.'
21. 'The action began on May 18 when 800 staff walked off the job in Watford in south England.'
22. 'Refusing to work or take on duties on health and safety grounds is not secondary action.'
23. 'The unofficial action began at 8am when pickets were placed outside the station.'
24. 'The Government responded by making it clear there were no plans to review the law on secondary action.'
25. 'Their action began three weeks after the annual wage negotiations with the company reached a stalemate.'
26. 'Pickets were to be out again at the Arndale on Friday of this week, the TUC's day of action to defend pensions.'
27. 'The drivers took their second day of action on Thursday of last week with a solid 24 hour strike.'
28. 'Nursery nurses claim the council has provoked the action by ignoring their arguments for an increase in their hourly rate.'
29. 'A union is calling for a national day of action to protest at plans to increase the retirement age for civil servants.'
30. 'It is set about two hundred years ago, at the time of the Napoleonic wars; the action takes place mostly in England.'
31. 'An ability to penetrate the superficialities of the story and action to see the moral truths expressed therein.'
32. 'Jackson is back for the sequel, playing the tough Security Agency head, and this time the action is set in Washington DC.'
33. 'There isn't actually a lot of dramatic action happening - much of the story revolves around the psychology.'
34. 'Time. Used to define the limits of the story and around which action is organized.'
35. 'This film is closely inspired by and links to the story, characters and action of Driver 3.'
36. 'the weekend sporting action begins on Saturday'
37. 'Thankfully, that proved to be unfounded and we can continue to savour the prospect of some exciting action.'
38. 'So a CEO has to spend time where the action is, or you're not going to get the true picture.'
39. 'Well chapter 7 is done, and with it the first real action in the story so far, from my point of view at least.'
40. 'The film is funny and exciting, with non-stop action and set pieces.'
41. 'Excitement, glamour, exposure, top sporting action, cash by the barrow-load.'
42. 'Things got off to a slow start but by mid afternoon there was non stop action.'
43. 'My only criticism is that perhaps there could have been a little more exciting action.'
44. 'At one level, the movie is about science fiction, kung fu, firearms and non-stop action.'
45. 'Exciting racing action throughout the weekend in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.'
46. 'The second half was brimful of exciting action, even if the scoring returns were nothing to crow about.'
47. 'lights, camera, action'
48. 'I had to make a living and I wanted to get behind a camera and shout ‘action’.'
49. 'Jayson pointed the camera, Eric called ‘Action’ and Chris ran with an expression of terror on his face.'

A thing done; an act.

1. 'You alone are responsible for your own actions and behavior in life.'
2. 'There comes a point where you have to take responsibility for your own actions.'
3. 'Our group largely agreed but added that the police response to our actions would play a decisive role in how far things would escalate.'
4. 'The book is a sustained diatribe questioning Churchill's actions from the early 1930s through 1941.'
5. 'The wider issue is the question of the state's behaviour and whether its actions were responsible.'
6. 'Notwithstanding his off-field actions, no one questions Carey's commitment to the concept of team.'
7. 'But there is also a perceived need on the part of governments to build up a momentum in public opinion both to justify its actions and bury awkward questions.'
8. 'It is not your responsibility to control their actions and behavior.'
9. 'When will she take responsibility for her own actions?'
10. 'Welcome to the real world people, a world of personal responsibility where actions can generate reactions.'
11. 'his actions emphasized his words'
12. 'Some levels will have you performing the same movements and actions for ten minutes only to get you to a room with no purpose.'
13. 'But their movement and actions are depicted with expressiveness and drama.'
14. 'They do not perform actions, and their movements and modifications are not caused by motives, for the simple reason that they have no minds with which to perceive.'
15. 'No words, just clean efficient movement and actions.'
16. 'This workshop was the first phase of a training programme in which the kids learnt how to create expressions, actions and movements of characters.'
17. 'It's important to express our love through words and actions, kissing and hugging our children often.'
18. 'His movements contradicted the others' actions, his steps were graceful and quiet like that of a doe.'
19. 'He doesn't tend to speak, rather communicate in actions and gestures.'
20. 'The actors, in their movements and actions, too remind one of theatrical expressions that are wholly Malayali in origin.'
21. 'How was it possible for someone as dumb and arrogant as Heath to make me blush with a simple action or word?'

The way in which something works or moves.

1. 'The tray slides along the rails in a very smooth action, and is held in place with four thumbscrews.'
2. 'In 1855 he entered Nicaragua with a small band of mercenaries armed with a new type of quick-action rifle.'
3. 'The heart's pumping action pushes the blood around the body through the arteries.'
4. 'Most bolt actions will fit the cartridge without bolt modification and bullets up to .35 caliber can be fitted into some variation of the case.'
5. 'He moved the slide action back and forth, checking that the movement was smooth enough to meet his satisfaction.'

Armed conflict.

1. 'He saw early action in North Africa, where he was awarded a Military Cross and bar.'
2. 'Casualties totaled 77,000 men, which included 8,000 killed in action, 48,000 wounded in action, and 21,000 as prisoners of war or missing in action.'
3. 'Nevertheless, members of this camp believe that the onset of military action might give the market a lift.'
4. 'Wayne's body has never been found, he is listed as missing in action, and presumed to be dead.'
5. 'His father, a gifted poet who worked in a bank, was killed in action in France in 1917.'
6. 'Military action, especially a Nato assault, must be the option of last resort.'
7. 'In each case, only outside military action eventually ended Genocide.'
8. 'Military action is but a single prong of a much larger and broader effort to halt the threat of terrorism.'
9. 'They sought to wear down the adversary through harassing actions and protracted conflict.'
10. 'But recent weeks have seen a resurgence of armed actions by government opponents.'
11. 'We had been fighting a rearguard action across France, and we were 30 miles outside Dunkirk when the evacuation began on May 26th.'
12. 'Third, normally blockade takes the form of systematic naval military actions.'
13. 'Hawks hurriedly flew off to protect Paris but Paris was soon occupied and the Hawk pilots attempted to fight a rearguard action as they retreated from one base to another.'
14. 'Further, subsequent military actions may depend on the effectiveness of a non-lethal attack.'
15. 'The murkiness and chaos that attend armed conflict mean military actions are hardly immune to mistake.'
16. 'However, other soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines die in combat actions, too.'
17. 'It was the beginning of decades of military actions until the wars of independence ended in 1825.'
18. 'This meant that they were part-time warriors and that spoils of war played a major role in military actions.'

Legal proceedings; a lawsuit.

1. 'There's also a limit on how long after a wrongful act a civil action can be commenced.'
2. 'The plaintiffs commenced an action in private law for recovery of the money due.'
3. 'After his accident in the spring of 1988, Kenneth sued for damages in a civil action.'
4. 'He will remain as a defendant and the action will proceed against him and the other three defendants.'
5. 'Here, the contractor was the plaintiff and the owners were the defendants in a lien action.'
6. 'The ability to make comparisons with damages awarded for non-pecuniary losses in personal injury actions would have a salutary effect on libel juries.'
7. 'These costs can be recovered in a variety of ways: through fines, charges, or civil actions for damages.'
8. 'The company says it has a strong case and intends to fight the action.'
9. 'Judicial Watch has filed 92 lawsuits and legal actions against government officials.'
10. 'The claimant brought an action for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.'

verb

Take action on; deal with.

1. 'If you had a standard monthly payment for the same amount each month, then your request could be actioned.'
2. 'However, initial thoughts are that a local merger could perhaps be actioned and would clearly simplify existing structures.'
3. 'I have made numerous calls to the so called Help Line and nothing is ever actioned.'
4. 'The letter was actioned by the Milton Keynes Council and endorsed accordingly 8th April 2002.'
5. 'But, until the plan is actioned, there is still some Monday stretched out behind and ahead of me.'
6. 'Both of these recommendations have been actioned.'
7. 'However, for some reason, it was not allocated to a specific member of staff and he could not say why the instruction to update the records was not actioned.'
8. 'That is why I actioned the share transfer of 6,250 shares.'
9. 'While some comments were just plain amusing, the more serious ones had been actioned where possible by the management, or a note had been put in explaining why the suggestion could not be acted on.'
10. 'The funding allows core programmes set up over the last 2 years to grow, and new initiatives to be actioned.'

noun

1. the process or state of acting or of being active: The machine is not in action now.

2. something done or performed; 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. actions, habitual or usual acts; conduct: He is responsible for his actions.

5. energetic activity: a man of action.

6. an exertion of power or force: the action of wind upon a ship's sails.

7. effect or influence: the action of morphine.

8. Physiology. a change in organs, tissues, or cells leading to performance of a function, as in muscular contraction.

9. way or manner of moving: the action of a machine or of a horse. 10. the mechanism by which something is operated, as that of a gun or a piano. 1

1. a military encounter or engagement; battle, skirmish, or the like. 1

2. actual engagement in fighting an enemy; military or naval combat: He saw action in Vietnam. 1

3. Literature. the main subject or story, as distinguished from an incidental episode. 1

4. Theater. an event or series of events that form part of a dramatic plot: the action of a scene. one of the three unities.Compare unity (def 8). 1

5. the gestures or deportment of an actor or speaker. 1

6. Fine Arts. the appearance of animation, movement, or emotion given to figures by their attitude, position, or expression. 1

7. Law. a proceeding instituted by one party against another. the right of bringing it. 1

8. Slang. interesting or exciting activity, often of an illicit nature: He gave us some tips on where the action was. gambling or the excitement of gambling: The casino usually offers plenty of action. money bet in gambling, especially illegally. 1

9. Ecclesiastical. a religious ceremony, especially a Eucharistic service. the canon of the Mass. those parts of a service of worship in which the congregation participates. adjective 20. characterized by brisk or dynamic action: an action car; an action melodrama. Idioms 2

1. in action, performing or taking part in a characteristic act: The school baseball team is in action tonight. working; functioning: His rescuing the child was bravery in action. 2

2. out of action, removed from action, as by sudden disability: The star halfback is out of action with a bad knee. 2

3. piece of the action, Informal. a share of the proceeds or profits: Cut me in for a piece of the action. 2

4. take action, to start doing something: As soon as we get his decision, we'll take action. to start a legal procedure.

"There can be action parties."
"There can be action programmes."
"There can be action groups."
"There can be action committees."
"There can be action researchs."
"There can be action teams."
"There can be action people."
"There can be action fronts."
"There can be action projects."
"There can be action figures."
"There can be action replays."
"There can be action potentials."
"There can be action programs."
"There can be action suits."
"There can be action samples."
"There can be action necessaries."
"There can be action films."
"There can be action points."
"There can be action whiles."
"There can be action systems."