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Glossary of Action Verbs
The following compilation of action verbs is intended as a guide to common verbs usedin writing job descriptions.
Act โ To exert oneโs powers in such a way as to bring about an effect; to carry out a purpose. Add โ To affix or attach; to perform mathematical addition of figures. Administer โ To manage or direct the application or execution of; to administrate. Adopt โ To take and apply or put into practice; to accept, as a report. Advise โ To give advice to; to recommend a course of action (not simply to tell orinform).
Affirm โ To confirm or ratify. Align โ To arrange or form in a line. Amend โ To change or modify. Analyze โ To study the factors of a situation or problem in order to determine the solution or outcome. Factors studied should be unrelated and then from thisinformation individual makes a decision. To study various unrelated facts to arrive at a conclusion. Anticipate โ To foresee events, trends, consequences, or problems. Apply โ To adjust or direct; to put in use, as a rule. Appraise โ To evaluate as to quality, status, effectiveness. Approve โ To sanction officially; to accept as satisfactory; to ratify (thereby assumingresponsibility for). Used only when individual has final authority.
Arrange โ To place in proper order. Ascertain โ To find out or learn for a certainty. Assemble โ To collect or gather together in a predetermined order; to fit together the parts of. Assign โ To fix, specify or delegate. Legally, to transfer or make over to another.
Assist โ To lend aid; to help; to give support to. Assume โ To take to or upon oneself; to undertake. Assure โ To confirm; to make certain of; to state confidently. Attach โ To bind, fasten, tie or connect. Attend โ To be present for the purpose of making a contribution. Audit โ To make a final and official examination of accounts. Authorize โ To empower; to permit; to establish by authority. Balance โ To arrange or prove so that the sum of one group equals the sum of another. Batch โ To group into a quantity for one operation. Calculate โ To ascertain by computation. Cancel โ To strike out or cross out. Carry โ To convey through the use of the hands. Center โ To place or fix in or at the center; to collect to a point. Chart โ To draw or exhibit in a chart or graph. Check โ To examine; to compare for verification. Circulate โ To disseminate; to distribute in accordance with a plan. Classify โ To separate into groups having systematic relations. Clear โ To obtain the concurrence, dissent or agreement of other officers prior to signature. Clear โ (office equipment) to renew a previous accumulation of figures. Close โ To end or terminate. Code โ To transpose words or figures into symbols or characters (letters or numbers). Collaborate โ To work or act jointly with others. Collate โ To bring together in a predetermined order.
Disseminate โ To spread information or ideas. Distribute โ To divide or separate into classes; to pass around; to allot. Divide โ To separate into classes or parts, subject to mathematical division. Draft โ To write or compose papers or documents in rough, preliminary, or final form, often for clearance and approval by others. Edit โ To revise and prepare as for publication. Effectively recommend โ To initiate an action or procedure, subject only to the routine or administrative control of some other person. Establish โ To set up; to institute; to place on a firm basis. Evaluate โ To appraise; to ascertain the value of. Examine โ To investigate; to scrutinize; to subject to inquiry by inspection or test. Execute โ To give effect; to follow through to the end; to complete. Exercise โ To bring to bear or employ actively, as authority or influence. Expedite โ To hasten the movement or progress of; to remove obstacles; to accelerate. Extract โ To draw forth; to withdraw; to separate; to determine by calculation. Facilitate โ To make easy or less difficult. Feed โ To supply material to a machine. Figure โ To compute. File โ To lay away papers, etc., arranged in a methodical manner. Fill in โ To enter information on a form. Find โ To locate by search. Flag โ To mark in some distinctive manner. Follow- up โ To check the progress of; to see if results are satisfactory. Formulate โ To put into a systemized statement; to develop or devise a plan or policy, or procedure.
Furnish โ To provide, supply, or give. Gather โ To collect; to harvest; to accumulate and place in order. Implement โ To carry out; to perform acts essential to the execution of a plan or program;to give effect to.
Inform โ To instruct; to communicate knowledge of. Initiate โ To originate; to begin; to introduce for the first time, as a plan, policy, orprocedure.
Insert โ To put or thrust in; to introduce as a word in a sentence. Inspect โ To examine carefully and critically. Instruct โ To impart knowledge to; to supply direction to. Interpret โ To explain the meaning of; to translate; to elucidate. Interview โ To question in order to obtain facts or opinions. Inventory โ To count and make a list of items. Investigate โ To inquire into systematically. Issue โ To distribute formally. Itemize โ To state in terms or by particulars; to set or note down in detail. Line โ To cover the inside surface; to rule. List โ To itemize. Locate โ To search for and find; to position. Maintain โ To hold or keep in any condition; to keep up to date or current, as records. Make โ To cause something to assume a designated condition. Manage โ To control and direct; to guide; to administer. Measure โ To determine length or quantity of. Merge โ To combine.
Receive โ To take, as something that is offered. Recommend โ To suggest courses of action or procedures to other persons who have the primary responsibility for adopting and carrying out the actions or proceduresrecommended.
Reconstruct โ To construct again; to restore. Record โ To register; to make a record of. Refer โ To direct attention; to make reference, as in referring to record. Register โ To enter in a record; to list. Release โ To permit the publication or dissemination of information at a specified datebut not before.
Remit โ To transfer or send, as money in payment. Render โ To furnish or contribute. Represent โ To take the place of. Request โ To ask for something. Require โ To demand; to insist upon. Requisition โ To make a request for something, usually records or supplies. Report โ To furnish information or data. Research โ To inquire specifically, using involved and critical investigation. Review โ To go over or examine deliberately or critically, usually with a view to approval or dissent; to analyze results for the purpose of giving an opinion. Revise โ To make a new, improved, or up-to-date version of. Route โ To prearrange and direct locations to which an article is to be sent. Scan โ To examine point by point; to scrutinize. Schedule โ To plan a time table; to set specific times for. Screen โ To examine closely, generally so as to separate one group or class form another.
Search โ To look over and through for the purpose of finding something. Secure โ To get possession of; to obtain. See โ To make certain of; to learn through observation. Select โ To choose from a number of others of similar kind. Separate โ To set apart from others for a special use; to keep apart. Sign โ To affix a signature to. Sort โ To put in a definite place or rank according to kind, class, etc. Stack โ To pile up. Stimulate โ To excite, rouse, or spur on. Study โ To consider attentively; to ponder or fix the mind closely upon a subject. Submit โ To present, for decision, information for jud gement of others. Sub-total โ To take interim total. Subtract โ To deduct one number from another. Summarize โ To make an abstract; to brief. Supervise โ To oversee for directions; to inspect with authority; to guide and instruct with immediate respons ibility for purpose to performance; to superintend; to lead.Types of supervision include:
(1) Direct Supervision โ Involves guidance and direction over individuals who report to and are directly responsible to the supervisor. Includes supervision of work, training, and personnel functions. (2) Close Supervision โ Individual does not use own initiative. Is instructed by supervisor as to the solution and selection of the proper procedures to follow. (3) Limited Supervision โ Individual proceeds on his own initiative in compliance withpolicies, practices, and procedures prescribed by his immediate supervisor.
(4) General Supervision โ Involves guidance and direction actually carried out by the immediate supervisor.
