English dictionary



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English noun: action

1. action (act) something done (usually as opposed to something said)


SamplesThere were stories of murders and other unnatural actions.


Broader (hypernym)act, deed, human action, human activity


Narrower (hyponym)accenting, accentuation, accomplishment, achievement, aggression, alienation, application, arrival, beatification, benignity, bruxism, carrying into action, carrying out, change, choice, civility, consultation, course, course of action, destabilisation, destabilization, economy, emphasizing, employment, engagement, execution, fetch, forbiddance, hostility, inhibition, interaction, jump-start, jumpstart, kindness, opposition, option, performance, pick, pickings, play, playing, politeness, prohibition, reference, res gestae, resistance, reverence, saving, selection, stupefaction, swordplay, taking, thing, transfusion, transgression, vampirism

2. action (state) the state of being active


SamplesHis sphere of activity.
He is out of action.


Synonymsactiveness, activity


Broader (hypernym)state


Narrower (hyponym)agency, behavior, behaviour, busyness, eructation, eruption, extravasation, hum, operation, overdrive, play, swing


Attributeactive


Antonymsinaction, inactiveness, inactivity

3. action (act) a military engagement


SamplesHe saw action in Korea.


Synonymsmilitary action


Broader (hypernym)group action


Narrower (hyponym)amphibious landing, battle, blockade, conflict, defence, defense, defensive measure, electronic warfare, encirclement, engagement, EW, fight, police action, resistance, saber rattling, sabre rattling, sally, sortie, war, warfare


Domain categoryarmed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine

4. action (process) a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)


SamplesThe action of natural forces.
Volcanic activity.


Synonymsactivity, natural action, natural process


Broader (hypernym)physical process, process


Narrower (hyponym)absorption, acidification, adiabatic process, aeration, antiredeposition, capture, capture, cataphoresis, centrifugation, chemical action, chemical change, chemical process, chromatography, clotting, coagulation, concretion, condensation, convection, curdling, curing, decay, demagnetisation, demagnetization, desorption, dielectrolysis, diffusion, disintegration, dissolution, distillation, distillment, drift, ecesis, ecological succession, effervescence, electrophoresis, establishment, extinction, extraction, feedback, filtration, flocculation, flow, formation, fossilisation, fossilization, geologic process, geological process, hardening, inactivation, ion exchange, ionisation, ionization, ionophoresis, leach, leaching, magnetic induction, magnetisation, magnetization, materialisation, materialization, natural selection, nuclear reaction, opacification, oscillation, oxygenation, pair creation, pair formation, pair production, phase change, phase transition, physical change, precession of the equinoxes, radiation, release, rigidification, rigidifying, saltation, scattering, selection, sericulture, set, sink, soak, soakage, soaking, softening, solidification, solidifying, sorption, source, state change, stiffening, stimulation, succession, survival, survival of the fittest, synergism, synergy, temperature change, transduction, transpiration, vitrification

5. action (communication) the series of events that form a plot


SamplesHis novels always have a lot of action.


Broader (hypernym)plot

6. action (attribute) the trait of being active and energetic and forceful


SamplesA man of action.


Broader (hypernym)drive

7. action (artifact) the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism


SamplesThe piano had a very stiff action.


Synonymsaction mechanism


Broader (hypernym)mechanism


Narrower (hyponym)firing mechanism, gunlock, movement, piano action, pump action, slide action


Part holonymkey


Part meronymgun, keyboard

8. action (act) 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


Synonymsaction at law, legal action


Broader (hypernym)legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings


Narrower (hyponym)antitrust case, civil action, counterclaim, criminal prosecution, custody case, lis pendens, prosecution, test case, test suit


Domain categoryjurisprudence, law

9. action (act) an act by a government body or supranational organization


SamplesRecent 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.


Broader (hypernym)group action

10. action (act) the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field


SamplesThe action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds.
Gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible.


Broader (hypernym)work


English verb: action

1. action (social) institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against


SamplesHe was warned that the district attorney would process him.
She actioned the company for discrimination.


Synonymslitigate, process, sue


Pattern of useSomebody ----s somebody


Broader (hypernym)challenge


Narrower (hyponym)expedite


Verb grouplitigate

2. action (creation) put in effect


SamplesCarry out a task.
Execute the decision of the people.
He actioned the operation.


Synonymsaccomplish, carry out, carry through, execute, fulfil, fulfill


Pattern of useSomebody ----s something


Broader (hypernym)complete, effect, effectuate, finish, set up


Narrower (hyponym)complete, consummate, consummate, discharge, dispatch, do, get over, perform, run


Verb groupcarry out, follow out, follow through, follow up, go through, implement, put through









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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