An action is conduct or behavior on one’s part. It can also mean a criminal or civil judicial proceeding. Actions legally divide into several, related and independently distinct categories. Related categories can fall under the type of entity you are bringing an action against. For example, an in personam action is an action brought against a person while an action in rem is an action to determine the title to property and the rights of the parties with respect to it.
Action to quiet title is a proceeding brought to establish a plaintiff’s title to land by compelling an adverse claimant to establish a proper claim to the land or be estopped from asserting one. A real action is an action brought for the recovery of land. As you can see by this sampling, there are many types of actions. Most can be defined by simply using a common sense approach.