acción

Acción is a Spanish noun with a range of related meanings in different fields. In everyday language, it denotes the process or result of acting, the sequence of steps taken to accomplish something, or events that happen. In narrative and cinema, acción refers to action as a genre or pace, and to directives signaling the start of a scene.

In law, acción means a legal claim or lawsuit, the right to bring a court case against someone. The scope and duration of an acción depend on the jurisdiction and applicable statutes of limitation, and it forms a central element of civil and criminal procedure.

In finance, acción is a share of capital stock in a company; broadcasting as acciones in the plural refers to the equity securities traded on markets. Accionistas are shareholders, who may have voting rights and may receive dividends.

In science, acción denotes the physical quantity known as the action, defined as the integral of the Lagrangian over time. It is a fundamental concept in classical and quantum mechanics, underpinning the principle of least action and various formulations in variational calculus.

In physiology, the term appears in the common phrase potencial de acción, describing the rapid membrane potential change that propagates along nerve or muscle fibers, a key mechanism in signaling within organisms.

Etymology: acción derives from Latin actio, act- “to do,” via the suffix -ción, and is related to actuar and accionista (shareholder). The different senses reflect the core idea of acting, ownership of a stake, or a dynamic process across disciplines.