direct action

American  

noun

1. any action seeking to achieve an immediate or direct result, especially an action against an established authority or powerful institution, as a strike or picketing.

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direct action British  

noun

1. action such as strikes or civil disobedience, employed by organized labour or other groups to obtain demands from an employer, government, etc

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Other Word Forms

• direct actionist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of direct action

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

The campaign group Greenpeace has also announced that it intends to take more direct action to better protect MPAs further out to sea.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

They believe that direct action is required to stop the descent of this AI judgment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"At the budget I will take direct action to ease the cost of living for all households," she wrote in The Times newspaper.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

But, if protesting is just fruitless exhibitionism, as Teddy claims, and radical acts of direct action don’t seem to work any better, what is there to do if no one will listen?

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

By supporting Moore, and, more importantly, by endorsing his new tactic of direct action, Austin would soon have an impact far beyond Durham or even the borders of North Carolina.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson