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

See Examples For:

direct action

The findings suggest that authorities may eventually need to take more direct action to address pollution from certain wrecks.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The group had gathered at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster for what was billed as "nonviolent direct action training".

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

A more recent Leger poll conducted earlier this month indicates that one in three Canadians believe the US could take "direct action" to control Canada in the future.

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 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

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry