Action vs. Task

Action vs. Task — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Action and Task

Actionnoun

Something done so as to accomplish a purpose.

Tasknoun

A piece of work done as part of one’s duties.

Actionnoun

A way of motion or functioning.

Knead bread with a rocking action.

Tasknoun

A difficult or tedious undertaking.

Actionnoun

Fast-paced activity.

a movie full of exciting action

Tasknoun

An objective.

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Actionnoun

A mechanism; a moving part or assembly.

a rifle action

Tasknoun

(computing) A process or execution of a program.

Actionnoun

(music): The mechanism, that is the set of moving mechanical parts, of a keyboard instrument, like a piano, which transfers the motion of the key to the sound-making device.

Taskverb

(transitive) To assign a task to, or impose a task on.

On my first day in the office, I was tasked with sorting a pile of invoices.

Actionnoun

(slang) sexual intercourse.

She gave him some action.

Taskverb

(transitive) To oppress with severe or excessive burdens; to tax.

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Actionnoun

The distance separating the strings and the fretboard on the guitar.

Taskverb

(transitive) To charge, as with a fault.

Actionnoun

(military) Combat.

He saw some action in the Korean War.

Tasknoun

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted;

he prepared for great undertakings

Actionnoun

(legal) A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio).

Tasknoun

a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee;

estimates of the city's loss on that job ranged as high as a million dollarsthe job of repairing the engine took several hoursthe endless task of classifying the samplesthe farmer's morning chores

Actionnoun

(mathematics) A mapping from a pairing of mathematical objects to one of them, respecting their individual structures. The pairing is typically a Cartesian product or a tensor product. The object that is not part of the output is said to act on the other object. In any given context, action is used as an abbreviation for a more fully named notion, like group action or left group action.

Taskverb

assign a task to;

I tasked him with looking after the children

Actionnoun

(physics) The product of energy and time, esp. the product of the Lagrangian and time.

Taskverb

use to the limit;

you are taxing my patience

Actionnoun

The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events.

Actionnoun

The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.

Actionnoun

(bowling) spin put on the bowling ball.

Actionnoun

A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds.

Actioninterjection

Demanding or signifying the start of something, usually an act or scene of a theatric performance.

The director yelled ‘Action!’ before the camera started rolling.

Actionverb

To act on a request etc, in order to put it into effect.

Actionverb

To initiate a legal action against someone.

Actionnoun

something done (usually as opposed to something said);

there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions

Actionnoun

the state of being active;

his sphere of activityhe is out of action

Actionnoun

a judicial proceeding brought by one party against another; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong

Actionnoun

an act by a government body or supranational organization;

recent federal action undermined the segregationist positionthe United Nations must have the power to propose and organize action without being hobbled by irrelevant issuesthe Union action of emancipating Southern slaves

Actionnoun

a military engagement;

he saw action in Korea

Actionnoun

a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings);

the action of natural forcesvolcanic activity

Actionnoun

the series of events that form a plot;

his novels always have a lot of action

Actionnoun

the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism;

the piano had a very stiff action

Actionnoun

the trait of being active and energetic and forceful;

a man of action

Actionnoun

the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field;

the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bondsgawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible

Actionverb

institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against;

He was warned that the district attorney would process himShe actioned the company for discrimination

Actionverb

put in effect;

carry out a taskexecute the decision of the peopleHe actioned the operation