live-action

adjective

live-ac·​tion ˈlīv-ˈak-shən 

variants or less commonly live action

1

: of, relating to, or featuring cinematography that is not produced by animation

a live-action film

2

: done or performed live and usually in person

a live-action performance

live-action role-playing games

Examples of live-action in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Charles Melton, who recently landed an Emmy nomination for his role in the Netflix series Beef, is in final negotiations for a key role in the live-action Naruto movie set up at Lionsgate, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026

The idea lurking in the shadows is that rather than just individual characters, actual story arcs from the long saga of the beloved Clone Wars series could be remade or adapted into live-action. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

As part of the D23 2026 celebrations, Disney and Lucasfilm shared a first look at the long-in-the-works second season of the live-action show – set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens – on August 15. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026

In her new role, Martin Kelley will oversee communications for the streaming giant’s feature film department, encompassing live-action, documentaries, and animation. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for live-action

• benefaction
• counteraction
• interaction
• liquefaction
• putrefaction
• rarefaction
• satisfaction
• stupefaction
• tumefaction
• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction

Kids Definition

live-action

adjective

live-ac·​tion ˈlīv-ˈak-shən 

1

: of, relating to, or featuring cinematography that is not produced by animation

2

: done or performed live and usually in person