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nonaction

nonaction

7.9
Not doing anything when you should do something, often making the problem worse
  • noun
  • /nɒnˈækʃən/
translation icon : inaacción
  • Silences that communicate are accompanied in turn by a number of nonactions that signify.

Examples

  • He even had BAA guidelines to back him up on this sensible course of nonaction.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • "Students requested both more fiction and more nonaction, but the requests for specific fiction far outnumbered nonaction."

    Academic text (2011)
  • The participation that GRAV offered, it would seem, could give the cover of presence for the real nonaction that was, in reality, an active absence.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Her first nonaction work, Long Way Home, offers an account of what inspired her to establish the project, which relies on the work of Loyola law students.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Thus, this nonaction is a lack, but as a repeated one, it helps to fill the book's fabula, and, of course, its telling swells the book's discourse.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The term wu wei is frequently used in Taoist philosophy and means literally "nonaction." In the West, the term is usually interpreted as referring to passivity.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In the face of rising unemployment, her decision to remain silent was seen as nonaction when immediate solutions were needed.

  • The government's nonaction in response to the crisis led to widespread criticism from the public.

  • His nonaction during the emergency situation was unexpected, as many anticipated a prompt response.

Synonyms

inaction
vsnonaction
39 4.9

Not doing anything when something should be done

is a deliberate choice not to act when action is expected
unwillingness
vsnonaction
34 3.9

A feeling of not wanting to do something

is an intentional decision not to act despite external expectations
inactivity
vsnonaction
12 3.5

A period of time with no movement or action

is specifically a decision not to act when action is needed
passivity
vsnonaction
9 6.3

Accepting things without trying to change them

is choosing not to act deliberately when action is expected
disinclination
vsnonaction
  • Formal
2 8.0

A feeling of not wanting to do something

is an active choice to refrain even without strong dislike
passiveness
vsnonaction
1 5.6

A habit of accepting what happens without acting

is a conscious choice to do nothing when action is needed
nonfeasance
vsnonaction
  • Formal
1 9.9

Not doing something you must do by law or duty that hurts people

is the general choice not to act even when no legal duty exists
inactiveness
vsnonaction
5.3

A period of not doing anything or moving

is a deliberate refusal to act when action is expected
nondecision
vsnonaction
8.6

A situation where people avoid making a clear choice about something

is an active decision not to act rather than indecisive avoidance

Antonyms

1.3

Doing things to get results

How Active

intervention
  • Specialized
108 4.8
action
1.3
nonaction
7.9

Surface Forms

nonaction singular
nonactions plural

Morphology

nonaction = action (transparent) = non + action

The meaning is directly composed of the negative prefix 'non-' plus the noun 'action', so learners who know both can derive the meaning.

Etymology

The word nonaction breaks into non- meaning 'not' and action meaning 'doing', the same root as act. So nonaction simply means choosing 'not' to do something, especially when action would be expected or needed.