Actionable

Actionable is an adjective describing something that can be acted upon. In law, it refers to a claim or conduct that is capable of giving rise to a lawsuit. An action is actionable when the wrong or harm is recognized by law as giving the plaintiff a legal right to sue, such as actionable fraud, actionable negligence, or actionable defamation. An action that is not actionable is insufficiently recognized by law to support a civil claim, often because there is no legal duty, causation, or damages.

In general usage, actionable is used to describe information, advice, or intelligence that can be translated into concrete steps. Actionable advice differs from vague guidance; it specifies who should do what, by when, and how success can be measured. Actionable insights are data or findings that lead to specific decisions or actions.

Etymology: the term combines action with the suffix -able, from Middle English and Old French, built on Latin actio or actus.

Usage notes: In legal contexts, the label actionable is a precise technical term; outside law it is often used informally to emphasize practical applicability. The quality of being actionable depends on context, clarity, and feasibility of implementation.

Related concepts commonly encountered include actionable intelligence and actionable recommendations, which emphasize results that can be directly pursued rather than merely observed.