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say it: AK-shuhn
action is a noun and verb meaning "something done (usually as opposed to something said)". It carries 12 recorded senses.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
“there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions”
a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)
“the action of natural forces”
“volcanic activity”
the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism
“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
law
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 most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field
“the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds”
“gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible”
put in effect
“carry out a task”
“execute the decision of the people”
“He actioned the operation”
Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.
Definitions, synonyms and semantic relations for action come from Princeton University’s WordNet. The pronunciation comes from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Commonness is measured against a corpus of everyday English. Full sources and licences.