military action
105
3.7
- noun
- /ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈækʃən/
- To begin with, critics note, U.S. military action could easily spark a full-blown war.
- take military action
- support military action
- threat of military action
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Watch on YouTubeNow, call me old fashioned, but once you're shelling, that's pretty much direct military action.
- Now, call me old fashioned, but once you're shelling, that's pretty much direct military action.
- And the military action has not necessarily coincided with that sentiment.
- I am not an expert on military action, so I can't really comment on the likelihood of a success.
- And then maybe the destructive aspect of that would not as much be the military actions, but the way those news are spread on Twitter and the panic that creates.
Examples
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Despite sweeping support in Israel for the military action against Hamas, the results left Israelis troubled.
Academic text (2015) -
While the war was sanctioned by the United Nations, the military action remained firmly under American command and control.
Academic text (1993) -
Direct military action is out of style, my friend.
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And through precise military action we will take the essential first step.
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But since all the legal criteria are sound, I believe we must allow this military action to continue.
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Mr. President, it's clear to me now that the answer is sustained military action in the air.
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With some exceptions, military action for limited ends seems more likely in the years ahead.
Academic text (1996) -
Israeli women tend to be slightly less supportive of military action than men.
Academic text (1996) -
Washington could also reduce the political fallout of military action by building global support for it in advance.
Academic text (2012) -
During his presidency, he ordered a military action to assist allied forces overseas.
Synonyms
∞
1.4
A violent fight between armed groups in a war
854
3.5
A fight between soldiers or armed groups in a war
811
3.2
A planned action by a group to achieve a goal
514
2.7
A violent fight between armed groups in a war
415
6.9
Fighting between soldiers in a war
159
7.4
A large attack by an army to gain control
61
7.1
A fight between armed groups during a war
56
3.7
A planned action by armed forces to achieve a goal
16
4.1
A planned series of actions by soldiers to reach a goal in one area during a set time
12
5.3
A military action with fighting to capture or defend a place
9
4.0
A task given to a group of soldiers to reach a clear goal
3
7.6
A military operation done without declaring war to restore peace
1
8.1
A military action that lands soldiers from ships onto a shore
1
6.3
A trip by soldiers to fight and take control of a place in another country
1
4.9
A fight between soldiers or military groups using weapons
1
7.4
Fighting between two countries or groups during a war
A planned military action with clear goals that is often secret
A military action that targets enemy forces rather than civilians
How Major
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'military action' is directly and compositionally derived from 'military' (relating to soldiers/war) + 'action' (operations or engagements), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to armed operations or engagements. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common noun phrase combining modifier + head, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase military action comes from the simple picture of soldiers — military — doing an action, like moving or attacking. So it now means 'an operation' or 'a fight' by armed forces.