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

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 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

"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

As the head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Randolph believed in the power of strikes and direct action to get results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025

As youth advisor to the state NAACP, McKissick spread the gospel of direct action among North Carolina’s black students.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson