Action vs Inaction - What's the difference?
action | inaction |
Something done so as to accomplish a purpose.
A way of motion or functioning.
A fast-paced activity.
A mechanism; a moving part or assembly.
(music): The mechanism, that is the set of moving mechanical parts, of a keyboard instrument, like a piano, which transfers the motion of the key to the sound-making device.Marshall Cavendish Corporation
(slang) sexual intercourse.
The distance separating the strings and the fretboard on the guitar.
(military) Combat.
(legal) A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio ).
(mathematics) A mapping from a pairing of mathematical objects to one of them, respecting their individual structures. The pairing is typically a Cartesian product or a tensor product. The object that is not part of the output is said to act'' on the other object. In any given context, ''action'' is used as an abbreviation for a more fully named notion, like group action or ''left group action.
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.
(art, painting and sculpture) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.
(bowling) spin put on the bowling ball.
(business, obsolete, a Gallicism) A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds.
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Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually an act or scene of a theatric performance.
(management) To act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.
* {{quote-book, year=2004
, publisher=Pearson Education
, author=Ros Jay, Richard Templar
, title=Fast Thinking Manager's Manual
, edition=Second edition
, chapter=Fast thinking: project
, section=Fast Thinking Leader
* {{quote-book, year=2005
, publisher=Routledge
, author=Fritz Liebreich
, title=Britain's Navel and Political Reaction to the Illegal Immigration of Jews to Palestine, 1945-1948
, chapter=The physical confrontation: interception and diversion policies in theory and practice
* {{quote-book, year=2007
, publisher=The Stationery Office
, editor=
, author=Great Britain: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
, title=Tax Credits: Getting it wrong? 5th report session 2006-2007
, chapter=Case study: 11257
, section=Chapter 2: Changes and developments since June 2005
(transitive, chiefly, archaic) To initiate a legal action against someone.
* {{quote-book, year=1856
, publisher=Stringer & Townsend
, author=Thomas Chandler Haliburton
, title=The Attaché: or Sam Slick in England
, section=Chapter XLVII: The Horse Stealer; or All Trades Have Tricks But Our Own
, edition=New Revised Edition
* {{quote-book, year=1844
, year_published=
, publisher=T. C. Newby
, author=Robert Mackenzie Daniel
, title=The Grave Digger: A novel by the author of The Scottish Heiress
, volume=I
, section=Chapter IX: How the Grave-differ entertained a lady
* {{quote-book, year=1871
, year_published=2002
, publisher=Oxford University Press US
, author=Michael Shermer
, quotee=(Alfred Russell Wallace)
, title=In Darwin’s shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russell Wallace
, section=Chapter 10. Heretic Personality
* {{quote-book, year=1996
, publisher=Boydell & Brewer
, author=Darryl Mark Ogier
, title=Reformation and Society in Guernsey
, chapter=Discipline: Enforcement
, section=Part Two: The Calvinist Regime
As nouns the difference between action and inaction
is that action is something done so as to accomplish a purpose while inaction is want of action or activity; forbearance from labor; idleness; rest; inertness.As an interjection action
is demanding or signifying the start of something, usually an act or scene of a theatric performance.As a verb action
is to act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.action
English
(wikipedia action)Noun
(en noun)- Knead bread with a rocking action .
- an action movie
- a rifle action
Growing Up with Sciencep.1079
- She gave him some action .
- He saw some action in the Korean War.
- The Euripus of funds and actions .
Derived terms
* actioner * action hero * action item * action man * action movie * action star * actions speak louder than words * direct action * ! * lost in action * missing in action * piece of the action * social action * take actionSee also
* deed *Interjection
(en interjection)- The director yelled ‘Action !’ before the camera started rolling.
Verb
(en verb)citation, isbn=9780273681052 , page=276 , passage=‘Here, give me the minutes of Monday’s meeting. I’ll action your points for you while you get on and sort out the open day.’}}
citation, isbn=9780714656373 , page=196 , passage=Violent reactions from the Jewish authorities were expected and difficulties of actioning the new guidelines were foreseen.}}
citation, isbn=9780102951172 , page=26 , passage=HMRC said that one reason they had not actioned her appeal was because she had said in her appeal form ‘I am appealing against the overpayment for childcare for 2003-04, 2004-05’, thus implying she was disputing her ‘overpayment’.}}
citation, page=270 , passage=‘I have no business to settle with you—arrest me, Sir, at your peril and I’ll action you in law for false imprisonment.’}}
citation, pages=189-190 , passage=“Scrip threatened me at first with an action for slander—he spoke of actions to the wrong man though—action! no, no no. I should have actioned him—ha! ha! [...]”}}
citation, isbn=9780195148305 , page=261 , passage=I have actioned him for Libel, but he won’t plead, and says he will make himself bankrupt & won’t pay a penny.}}
citation, isbn=9780851156033 , page=148 , passage=In 1589 the Court went so far as to effect a reconciliation between Michel le Petevin and his wife after she actioned him for ill treatment and adultery with their chambermaid.}}