1.  action(n = noun.act) - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions"
is a kind of act, deed, human action, human activity
has particulars: thing, benignity, kindness, accomplishment, achievement, alienation, application, res gestae, course, course of action, interaction, fetch, playing, play, swordplay, arrival, carrying into action, carrying out, execution, performance, choice, option, pick, selection, change, economy, saving, forbiddance, inhibition, prohibition, opposition, resistance, bruxism, transfusion, pickings, taking, transgression, aggression, hostility, destabilisation, destabilization, employment, engagement, civility, politeness, reverence, consultation, reference, accenting, accentuation, emphasizing, beatification, jump-start, jumpstart, stupefaction, vampirism
Derived form verb act₁

2.  action(n = noun.state) activeness, activity - the state of being active; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action"
is a kind of state
has particulars: agency, busyness, hum, behavior, behaviour, eructation, eruption, extravasation, operation, overdrive, play, swing
Antonym: inaction
Derived forms verb act₁, verb act₈

3.  action(n = noun.act) military action - a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea"
is a kind of group action
has particulars: amphibious landing, battle, conflict, engagement, fight, blockade, encirclement, defence, defense, defensive measure, electronic warfare, ew, police action, resistance, saber rattling, sabre rattling, sally, sortie, war, warfare

4.  action(n = noun.process) activity, natural action, natural process - a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings); "the action of natural forces"; "volcanic activity"
is a kind of physical process, process
has particulars: radiation, absorption, acidification, adiabatic process, aeration, antiredeposition, capture, capture, centrifugation, chemical action, chemical change, chemical process, chromatography, concretion, condensation, convection, clotting, coagulation, curdling, decay, demagnetisation, demagnetization, desorption, diffusion, disintegration, dissolution, distillation, distillment, drift, effervescence, cataphoresis, dielectrolysis, electrophoresis, ionophoresis, ecesis, establishment, extinction, extraction, feedback, filtration, flocculation, flow, formation, fossilisation, fossilization, geologic process, geological process, curing, hardening, set, solidification, solidifying, inactivation, ion exchange, ionisation, ionization, leach, leaching, magnetic induction, magnetisation, magnetization, materialisation, materialization, nuclear reaction, opacification, oscillation, oxygenation, pair creation, pair formation, pair production, phase change, phase transition, physical change, state change, precession of the equinoxes, release, saltation, scattering, sericulture, sink, soak, soakage, soaking, softening, sorption, source, rigidification, rigidifying, stiffening, stimulation, ecological succession, succession, natural selection, selection, survival, survival of the fittest, synergism, synergy, temperature change, transduction, transpiration, vitrification

5.  action(n = noun.communication) - the series of events that form a plot; "his novels always have a lot of action"
is a kind of plot

6.  action(n = noun.attribute) - the trait of being active and energetic and forceful; "a man of action"
is a kind of drive

7.  action(n = noun.artifact) action mechanism - the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism; "the piano had a very stiff action"
is a kind of mechanism
is a part of gun, keyboard
has parts: key
has particulars: firing mechanism, gunlock, movement, piano action, pump action, slide action

8.  action(n = noun.act) action at law, legal 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;
is a kind of legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings
has particulars: antitrust case, civil action, counterclaim, custody case, lis pendens, criminal prosecution, prosecution, test case, test suit
Derived form verb action₁

9.  action(n = noun.act) - 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"
is a kind of group action

10.  action(n = noun.act) - 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"
is a kind of work

1.  action(v = verb.social) litigate, process, sue - institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against; "He was warned that the district attorney would process him"; "She actioned the company for discrimination"
is one way to challenge
Derived forms noun action₈, adjective actionable₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s somebody

2.  action(v = verb.creation) accomplish, carry out, carry through, execute, fulfil, fulfill - put in effect; "carry out a task"; "execute the decision of the people"; "He actioned the operation"
is one way to complete, finish, effect, effectuate, set up
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

1.  A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action. [1913 Webster]
"One wise in council, one in action brave." [1913 Webster]

2.  An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor. [1913 Webster]
"The Lord is a Good of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed." [1913 Webster]

3.  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. [1913 Webster]

4.  Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action. [1913 Webster]

5.  Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun. [1913 Webster]

6.  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. [1913 Webster]

7.  Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings. [1913 Webster]

8.  The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted. [1913 Webster]

9.  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. [1913 Webster]

10.  A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks. [1913 Webster]
"The Euripus of funds and actions." [1913 Webster]

11.  An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action. [1913 Webster]

12.  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. Grove. [1913 Webster]
"To poke the fire is an act, to reconcile friends who have quarreled is a praiseworthy action." [1913 Webster]

action, n. & v.
--n.
1 the fact or process of doing or acting (demanded action; put ideas into action).
2 forcefulness or energy as a characteristic (a woman of action).
3 the exertion of energy or influence (the action of acid on metal).
4 something done; a deed or act (not aware of his own actions).
5 a a series of events represented in a story, play, etc. b sl. exciting activity (arrived late and missed the action; want some action).
6 a armed conflict; fighting (killed in action). b an occurrence of this, esp. a minor military engagement.
7 a the way in which a machine, instrument, etc. works (explain the action of an air pump). b the mechanism that makes a machine, instrument, etc. (e.g. a musical instrument, a gun, etc.) work. c the mode or style of movement of an animal or human (usu. described in some way) (a runner with good action).
8 a legal process; a lawsuit (bring an action).
9 (in imper.) a word of command to begin, esp. used by a film director etc.
--v.tr. bring a legal action against.

Idiom:
action committee (or group etc.) a body formed to take active steps, esp. in politics. action-packed colloq. full of action or excitement. action painting an aspect of abstract expressionism with paint applied by the artist's random or spontaneous gestures. action point a proposal for action, esp. arising from a discussion etc. action replay a playback of part of a television broadcast, esp. a sporting event, often in slow motion. action stations positions taken up by troops etc. ready for battle. go into action start work. out of action not working. take action begin to act (esp. energetically in protest).

Etymology:
ME f. OF f. L actio -onis (as ACT)

N  action, performance, doing perpetration, exercise, excitation, movement, operation, evolution, work, labor, praxis, execution, procedure, handicraft, business, agency, deed, act, overt act, stitch, touch, gest transaction, job, doings, dealings, proceeding, measure, step, maneuver, bout, passage, move, stroke, blow, coup, coup de main, coup d'etat, tour de force, feat, exploit, achievement, handiwork, workmanship, manufacture, stroke of policy, actor, doing, acting, in action, in harness, on duty, in operation, in the act, in the midst of, in the thick of, red-handed, in flagrante delicto, while one's hand is in, action is eloquence, actions speak louder than words, actum aiunt ne agas, awake, arise, or be forever fall'n, dii pia facta vident, faire sans dire, fare fac, fronte capillata post est occasio calva, our deeds are sometimes better than our thoughts, the great end of life is not knowledge but action, thought is the soul of act, vivre-ce nest pas respirer c'est agir, we live in deeds not years.

N  contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.

N  lawsuit, suit, action, cause, litigation, suit in law, dispute, citation, arraignment, prosecution, impeachment, accusation, presentment, true bill, indictment, apprehension, arrest, committal, imprisonment, writ, summons, subpoena, latitat, nisi prius, venire, venire facias pleadings, declaration, bill, claim, proces verbal, bill of right, information, corpus delicti, affidavit, state of facts, answer, reply, replication, plea, demurrer, rebutter, rejoinder, surrebutter, surrejoinder, suitor, party to a suit, plaintiff, defendant, litigant, hearing, trial, verdict, appeal, appeal motion, writ of error, certiorari, case, decision, precedent, decided case, reports (legal reference works, see reference books), litigious, qui tam, coram judice, sub judice, pendente lite, adhuc sub judice lis est, accedas ad curiam, transeat in exemplum.

N  agency, operation, force, working, strain, function, office, maintenance, exercise, work, swing, play, interworking, interaction, procurement, causation, instrumentality, influence, action, modus operandi, quickening power, maintaining power, sustaining power, home stroke, operative, efficient, efficacious, practical, effectual, at work, on foot, acting, in operation, in force, in action, in play, in exercise, acted upon, wrought upon, by the agency of through, by means of, I myself must mix with action lest I wither by des.

action at law, action mechanism, action officer, action painting, action plant, action potential, action replay, action spectrum, affirmative action, breech action, capillary action, carrying into action, cause of action, chemical action, civil action, class action, contact action, course of action, delayed action, direct action, evasive action, group action, human action, impossible action, in action, in full action, job action, lautaro faction of the united popular action movem, law of action and reaction, law of mass action, legal action, man of action, mass action, mechanism of action, military action, natural action, out of action, party to the action, piano action, plan of action, police action, political action committee, possible action, pump action, reflex action, right of action, scene of action, slide action, social action