performative
pərˈfɔːrmətɪv
Definition Synonyms

Definition of performative - Reverso English Dictionary

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Adjective

1.
impressiondone to create an impression
  • His apology seemed performative rather than sincere.
ostentatious pretentious showy
2.
linguisticsTECH.relating to or denoting an utterance that effects an actionTECH.
  • Saying 'I apologize' is a performative act that conveys remorse..
declarative expressive
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Expressions with performative

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spoken presentation of a written work using expression for an audience
Her performative reading brought the poet's words to life.
statement that performs an action by the act of being spoken
Saying 'I apologize' is a performative utterance that enacts an apology..
verb that explicitly conveys the speech act performed
'Promise' is a performative verb in 'I promise to help.'

Origin of performative

Latin, performare (to form)

Terms with performative included in their meaning

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general quality
quality of being performative in actions or expressions

Examples of performative in a sentence

  • Her laugh felt performative, not heartfelt.
  • The phrase 'I promise' is a performative utterance.
  • In legal contexts, performative statements can have significant implications.

View all translations of performative

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:ostentatoire, performatif, ...
  2. German:performativ, ...
  3. Italian:performativo, ...
  4. Spanish:superficial, performativo, ...
  5. Portuguese:performativo, ...
  6. Chinese:做给人看的, 具有表演性质的, ...
  7. Japanese:パフォーマティブな, 遂行的, ...
  8. Arabic:اسْتِعْرَاضِيّ, إِنْجازِيّ, ...
  9. Hebrew:מְבוּיָם לְמַרְאִית עַיִן, פֶּרְפוֹרְמָטִיבִי, ...
  10. Russian:показной, перформативный, ...
  11. Ukrainian:демонстративний, перформативний, ...
  12. Hindi:दिखावटी, क्रियात्मक, ...
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