Ac'tion, n.

noun

(āk/shun), n. [Fr. action, Lat. actio, from agere, to do, act.]

A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; or the effect of power exerted on one body by another; motion produced; agency; as, the action of heat, &c.
An act or thing done; a deed; especially, the result of an exercise of volition; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.

The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 1 Sam. ii. 3.

The event or series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, narrative, poem, or other composition.
(Orat.) Gesture or gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the accommodation of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the thoughts and feelings of the mind.
(Law.) (a.) A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; a claim made before a tribunal. (b.) A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim.
(Com.) A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds;—equivalent to our term share; and consequently, in a more general sense, in the plural, to stocks. [A Gallicism.]

The Euripus of funds and actions. Burke. The French took our castle of Gamboo, in Guinea, so that the Africa actions fell to thirty pounds, and the India to eighty. Evelyn.

(Paint. & Sculp.) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiments, emotions, or passions actuating the subject. Buchanan.
An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight. “A decisive action.” Macaulay.

Quantity of action (Physics), the product of the mass of a body by the space it runs through, and its velocity. Syn.—In many cases action and act are synonymous; but some distinction between them is observable. Action seems to have more relation to the power that acts, and its operation and process of acting; and act, more relation to the effect or operation complete. Action is also more generally used for ordinary transactions; and act, for such as are remarkable, or dignified; as, all our actions should be regulated by prudence; a prince is distinguished by acts of heroism or humanity.