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Showing results for inaction. Search instead for in+action.
Synonyms

inaction

American  
[in-ak-shuhn] / ɪnˈæk ʃən /

noun

  1. absence of action; idleness.

inaction British  
/ ɪnˈækʃən /

noun

  1. lack of action; idleness; inertia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inaction

First recorded in 1700–10; in- 3 + action

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He accused them of "inaction" and said a criminal case into the matter - which will also check their previous work - was being handled by Ukraine's national investigations bureau.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Government inaction is behind the proliferation in recent years of volunteer search “collectives,” many composed of relatives of the missing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

In a statement, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu warned that inaction on climate change could cost the wider state government around $40 billion by 2050, "with severe consequences for our people, infrastructure and economy".

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Second, behavioral therapy outcomes should be audited with the costs of inaction in mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

I mean, they do say our every action and inaction is related to some primordial fight or flight hardwiring....

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.