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direct action

See more synonyms for direct action on Thesaurus.com
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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Origin of direct action

First recorded in 1835–45
Related formsdirect actionist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for direct action

Historical Examples

  • I can't get her to see the difference between a socialist and a direct-action anarchist and I've given up trying.

    Windy McPherson's Son

    Sherwood Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for direct action

direct action

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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012