Added 8 October 2026
action
/ˈækʃən̩/ noun
In Latin: āctiō, āctus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about action at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The effort of performing or doing something.
- Something done, often so as to accomplish a purpose.
-
A way of motion or functioning.
Knead bread with a rocking action.
interjection
-
Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually a performance.
The director yelled ‘Action!’ after the cameras started rolling.
adjective
verb
Origin
From Middle English accioun, accion, from Old French aucion, acciun, from Latin āctiō(n) (“act of doing or making”), from āct(us) + action suffix -iō(n), perfect passive participle of agere (“do, act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. See also act, active. By surface analysis, act + -ion.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)