Action vs. Scheme

Something done so as to accomplish a purpose.

A way of motion or functioning.

Example: ‘Knead bread with a rocking action.’;

Fast-paced activity.

Example: ‘a movie full of exciting action’;

A mechanism; a moving part or assembly.

Example: ‘a rifle action’;

(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.

(slang) sexual intercourse.

Example: ‘She gave him some action.’;

The distance separating the strings and the fretboard on the guitar.

(military) Combat.

Example: ‘He saw some action in the Korean War.’;

(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.

(physics) The product of energy and time, esp. the product of the Lagrangian and time.

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.

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.

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds.

Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually an act or scene of a theatric performance.

Example: ‘The director yelled ‘Action!’ before the camera started rolling.’;

To act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.

To initiate a legal action against someone.

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.

Example: ‘One wise in council, one in action brave.’;

An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.

Example: ‘The Lord is a Good of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.’;

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.

Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action.

Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun.

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.

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

The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.

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.

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks.

Example: ‘The Euripus of funds and actions.’;

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

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.

Example: ‘To poke the fire is an act, to reconcile friends who have quarreled is a praiseworthy action.’;

something done (usually as opposed to something said);

Example: ‘there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions’;

the state of being active;

Example: ‘his sphere of activity’; ‘he is out of 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

an act by a government body or supranational organization;

Example: ‘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’;

a military engagement;

Example: ‘he saw action in Korea’;

a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings);

Example: ‘the action of natural forces’; ‘volcanic activity’;

the series of events that form a plot;

Example: ‘his novels always have a lot of action’;

the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism;

Example: ‘the piano had a very stiff action’;

the trait of being active and energetic and forceful;

Example: ‘a man of action’;

the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field;

Example: ‘the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds’; ‘gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible’;

institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against;

Example: ‘He was warned that the district attorney would process him’; ‘She actioned the company for discrimination’;

put in effect;

Example: ‘carry out a task’; ‘execute the decision of the people’; ‘He actioned the operation’;

the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim

Example: ‘ending child labour will require action on many levels’; ‘strike action was threatened’;

the way in which something such as a chemical has an effect or influence

Example: ‘the seeds require the catalytic action of water to release heat’;

short for industrial action

Example: ‘the rank and file want to call the action off’;

the events represented in a story or play

Example: ‘the action is set in a country house’;

exciting or notable activity

Example: ‘the weekend sporting action begins on Saturday’; ‘people in media want to be where the action is’;

used by a film director as a command to begin

Example: ‘lights, camera, action’;

a thing done; an act

Example: ‘she frequently questioned his actions’;

a gesture or movement

Example: ‘his actions emphasized his words’;

the way in which something works or moves

Example: ‘the weapon has a smooth action’;

the mechanism that makes a machine or instrument work

Example: ‘a piano with an escapement action’;

armed conflict

Example: ‘servicemen listed as missing in action during the war’;

a military engagement

Example: ‘a rearguard action’;

legal proceedings; a lawsuit

Example: ‘a civil action for damages’;

take action on; deal with

Example: ‘your request will be actioned’;

A systematic plan of future action.

A plot or secret, devious plan.

An orderly combination of related parts.

A chart or diagram of a system or object.

(mathematics) A type of topological space.

A council housing estate.

(rhetoric) An artful deviation from the ordinary arrangement of words.

(astrology) A representation of the aspects of the celestial bodies for any moment or at a given event.

(internet) Part of a uniform resource identifier indicating the protocol or other purpose, such as http: or news:.

A portfolio of pension plans with related benefits comprising multiple independent members.

(intransitive) To plot, or contrive a plan.

A combination of things connected and adjusted by design; a system.

Example: ‘The appearance and outward scheme of things.’; ‘Such a scheme of things as shall at once take in time and eternity.’; ‘Arguments . . . sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy.’; ‘The Revolution came and changed his whole scheme of life.’;

A plan or theory something to be done; a design; a project; as, to form a scheme.

Example: ‘The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.’;

Any lineal or mathematical diagram; an outline.

Example: ‘To draw an exact scheme of Constantinople, or a map of France.’;

A representation of the aspects of the celestial bodies for any moment or at a given event.

Example: ‘A blue silk case, from which was drawn a scheme of nativity.’; ‘He forms the well-concerted scheme of mischief;'T is fixed, 't is done, and both are doomed to death.’; ‘Artists and plans relieved my solemn hours;I founded palaces, and planted bowers.’;

To make a scheme of; to plan; to design; to project; to plot.

Example: ‘That wickedness which schemed, and executed, his destruction.’;

To form a scheme or schemes.

an elaborate and systematic plan of action

a statement that evades the question by cleverness or trickery

a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole;

Example: ‘a vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going’;

an internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world

a schematic or preliminary plan

form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

devise a system or form a scheme for