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.

---

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

---

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

Bailey was also not above returning to the direct action tactics of his youth.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Menon added that it would be "laughable" if any Palestine Action activist actually believed direct action would achieve the group's stated aim to "shut Elbit down".

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 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

So far, Willem’s position as a minister had prevented direct action against him and Tine, but he was watched, he said, more closely than ever.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom