accionaba

Accionaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb accionar, meaning to act, operate, or set in motion a device, mechanism, or process. It is used to describe past actions that were habitual, ongoing, or not completed at a definite time. In technical writing and narrative prose, accionaba can describe a system or mechanism being activated or responding to a stimulus, as in “el interruptor accionaba la alarma.”

Etymology and meaning: accionar derives from the noun acción (action) with the standard Spanish verb suffix -ar. The verb covers senses such as to activate, to operate, to drive a mechanism, or to bring something into operation. In some contexts, accionar can also appear in legal language to mean initiating or pursuing a legal action, though everyday usage favors phrases like “iniciar una acción” or “interponer una demanda.”

Conjugation notes: as a regular -ar verb, its imperfect forms include accionaba, accionabas, accionaba, accionábamos, accionabais, accionaban. Other common forms are acciono, accionas, acciona, accionamos, accionáis, accionan, with participle accionado and gerund accionando.

Usage examples:

- El motor accionaba a plena potencia cuando recibió la señal.

- La palanca accionaba la válvula y soltaba el gas.

See also: activar, poner en marcha, acción (noun). The term accionaba is primarily a grammatical form of accionar and is best understood in context as describing past activation or operation of a device or process.