GC: n
S: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/19/italian-coastguards-military-action-will-not-solve-mediterranean-migrant-crisis (last access: 21 May 2015); http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/11/europe/eu-migrants-military-action/ (last access: 21 May 2015).
N: – military (adj): mid-15c., from Middle French militaire (14c.), from Latin militaris “of soldiers or war, of military service, warlike,” from miles (genitive militis) “soldier,” of unknown origin, perhaps ultimately from Etruscan, or else meaning “one who marches in a troop,” and thus connected to Sanskrit melah “assembly,” Greek homilos “assembled crowd, throng.” Related: Militarily. Old English had militisc, from Latin. Military-industrial complex coined 1961 in farewell speech of U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
– action (n): mid-14c., “cause or grounds for a lawsuit,” from Anglo-French accioun, Old French accion, action (12c.) “action; lawsuit, case,” from Latin actionem (nominative actio) “a putting in motion; a performing, a doing; public acts, official conduct; lawsuit, legal action” (source also of Spanish acción, Italian azione), noun of action from past participle stem of agere “to do” (from PIE root *ag- “to drive, draw out or forth, move”).
Meaning “active exertion, activity” is from late 14c. Sense of “something done, an act, deed” is late 14c. Meaning “military fighting” is from 1590s. Meaning “way in which (a firearm, etc.) acts” is from 1845. As a film director’s command, it is attested from 1923. Meaning “noteworthy or important activity” is from 1933, as in the figurative phrase a piece of the action (1966). Meaning “excitement” is recorded from 1968. In action “in a condition of effective operation” is from 1650s. Phrase actions speak louder than words is attested from 1731. Action-packed is attested from 1953, originally of movies.
2. A military engagement. Synonym: action.
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=military+action (last access: 1 August 2017). 2. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/military%20action (last access: 1 August 2017).
SYN:
S:
CR: use of force
