The story
First coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
action figure
Today it means: A children's toy in the form of a posable plastic figurine of a character, often from a movie, video game, or television program, with moving parts and often capable of some form of spring-loaded movement. It is used to distinguish from dolls, which have acquired the reputation as a girl's toy, whereas action figures are more marketed toward boys. Full definition →