actionable

English

Etymology

From action +‎ -able. Compare Late Latin actionabilis. See action.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.ʃə.nə.bəl/, IPA^(key): /ˈæk.ʃən.ə.bəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

actionable (comparative more actionable, superlative most actionable)

1. Able to be acted on; able to be used as the basis for taking action.
   • 2015, Scott Ritter, London Review of Books, volume 37, number 13:

     By 1996 most of Unscom’s leads had dried up and my need for actionable information was such that the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) agreed to deal with me directly.

2. (law) Affording grounds for legal action.

   I'm sure it's not good of me to write that he's a lush, but is it actionable?

   Clearly the libelous book is actionable, but I'm not commenting on anything to do with legal issues.

   • 1891 [September, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adventure III.—A Case of Identity.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume II (July to December), number [9], London: […], page 258, column 1:

     "It may be so, or it may not, Mr. Holmes," said he, "but if you are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it is you who are breaking the law now, and not me. I have done nothing actionable from the first, but as long as you keep that door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal constraint."

Derived terms

• actionability
• actionably
• inactionable
• nonactionable
• unactionable

 

Translations

able to be acted on

•  Chinese:

   Mandarin: 可行動的／可行动的 (kě xíngdòng de)

• Finnish: toimiin oikeuttava
•  French: concret (fr)

affording grounds for legal action

•  Chinese:

   Mandarin: 可起訴的／可起诉的 (kě qǐsù de)

• Finnish: kannekelpoinen
•  French: recevable (fr), opposable (fr), passible de poursuite
• Swedish: åtalbar (sv)

Noun

actionable (plural actionables)

1. That can be acted on; that can be used as the basis for taking action.
   • 2020, “Actionables for a healthy recovery from COVID-19”, in World Health Organization Newsroom‎^[1]:

     A comprehensive set of key actionables for achieving healthier environments is provided accordingly.

Translations

that can be acted on

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 可行事項／可行事项 (kěxíng shìxiàng), 可訴訟事項／可诉讼事项 (kě sùsòng shìxiàng) (legal action)

• Portuguese: exequível (pt), viável (pt)
• Serbo-Croatian: provedivost (sh) f