actionism

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noun

An excessive emphasis on action, activity, or change in lieu of continuity, stability, and permanence.

OriginEnglish action ← Middle English accioun ← Old French aucion →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

actionism1

nounactionism (plural actionisms)

plural actionisms

  1. human sciencesAn excessive emphasis on action, activity, or change in lieu of continuity, stability, and permanence.
  2. human sciencesBelief in or advocacy of taking action; activism.

Actionism2

proper noun
  1. Viennese Actionism, a school of art which started in Vienna, Austria.
  2. The ideology of 1960s Radicals.

Origin

actionism · noun

  1. Old Frenchaucion
  2. Middle Englishaccioun
  3. Englishaction
  4. Englishactionism

From action + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Actionism · proper noun

The second sense was used by Theodor W. Adorno.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French actionisme
  • actionismeAn excessive emphasis on action, activity, or change
German Aktionismus
  • AktionismusAn excessive emphasis on action, activity, or change
Swedish aktionism
  • aktionismAn excessive emphasis on action, activity, or change

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

misaction
Cite this entry
APA

actionism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actionism

MLA

“actionism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actionism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “actionism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actionism.

Source: actionism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.