actionable

/ˈækʃənəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈækʃənəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈak-sh(ə-)nə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

actionable — adjective

  • actionablepositive
  • more actionablecomparative
  • most actionablesuperlative

1. capable of being used as a practical basis for making decisions or taking the ne

1.形容詞B2
釋義

capable of being used as a practical basis for making decisions or taking the next step — especially in business, data analysis, or project planning, where abstract information becomes useful only once it leads to real action.

例句

The team gathered plenty of data but failed to turn it into actionable recommendations.

collocation: actionable recommendations

After the meeting, Mei-Lin wrote a list of actionable tasks for each department.

同義詞
  • practicable

    more formal; emphasises feasibility ('can be done') rather than readiness for immediate action

  • doable

    informal; focuses on whether something is realistic to achieve, not whether it gives direction for the next step

  • usable

    broader; describes information that can be put to use in any way, not necessarily as a next-step plan

反義詞
  • vague

    describes information that is too unclear to lead to a practical decision or action

  • theoretical

    contrasts with actionable by suggesting something is purely conceptual and not ready for practical use

文法句型

actionable + noun (insight, plan, step, recommendation)

常見錯誤

❌The report offered three actionables.' (incorrect noun use).
✅The report offered three actionable recommendations.
💡Actionable is an adjective; it must modify a noun.
❌This tool makes our data actionable.' (vague).
✅This tool makes our sales data actionable by highlighting which products to restock.
💡Specify how the information leads to action.

2. describes a statement, action, or situation that gives someone a legally valid r

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a statement, action, or situation that gives someone a legally valid reason to take the person responsible to court — for example, a false claim that harms someone's reputation or a broken written promise that causes financial loss.

例句

If a public statement harms someone's reputation with lies, it may be actionable in court.

conditional: if [action] + be actionable

Diego's lawyers argued that the false advertisement was actionable under federal trade law.

actionable under [specific law]

同義詞
  • sueable

    more informal and less common; describes a person or company you can sue rather than the statement or action itself

  • justiciable

    more formal; refers to any matter suitable for a court to decide, not specifically one where the plaintiff has grounds

反義詞
  • non-actionable

    direct opposite; describes a statement or action that does not provide legal grounds for a lawsuit

文法句型

be + actionable

actionable + under [law]

not + actionable

用法筆記

Frequently used with not or never in legal discussions. Outside of formal legal contexts, this sense is rare in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌His comment was actionable.' (vague).
✅His comment was actionable because it falsely accused the manager of theft.
💡State the legal basis; actionable without context is unclear.
❌Stealing is actionable.' (confuses criminal and civil law).
✅Stealing is a crime; slander may be actionable in civil court.
💡Actionable describes civil lawsuits, not criminal acts.