performance

[ per-fawr-muhns ]

noun

1. a musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience.
2. the act of performing a ceremony, play, piece of music, etc.
3. the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc.
4. a particular action, deed, or proceeding.
5. an action or proceeding of an unusual or spectacular kind:

   His temper tantrum was quite a performance.

6. the act of performing.
7. the manner in which or the efficiency with which something reacts or fulfills its intended purpose.
8. Linguistics. the actual use of language in real situations, which may or may not fully reflect a speaker's competence, being subject to such nonlinguistic factors as inattention, distraction, memory lapses, fatigue, or emotional state. Compare competence ( def 6 ).

performance

/ pəˈfɔːməns /

noun

1. the act, process, or art of performing
2. an artistic or dramatic production

   last night's performance was terrible

3. manner or quality of functioning

   a machine's performance

4. informal.
   mode of conduct or behaviour, esp when distasteful or irregular

   what did you mean by that performance at the restaurant?

5. informal.
   any tiresome procedure

   what a performance dressing the children to play in the snow!

6. any accomplishment
7. linguistics (in transformational grammar) the form of the human language faculty, viewed as concretely embodied in speakers Compare competence langue parole

Other Words From

• misper·formance noun
• reper·formance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of performance¹

First recorded in 1485–95; perform + -ance

Example Sentences

Good thing: Though he’s in town to shoot a performance for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” he’s booked on a red-eye flight to Tampa tomorrow for a stadium gig with Wallen the following night.

From Los Angeles Times

The production will close Dec. 8 after 24 preview and 29 regular performances, Broadway World reported.

From Los Angeles Times

Ofwat has new powers to prevent bonuses being funded from customer bills if the company is judged to have missed environmental or performance targets.

From BBC

And with the film’s electrifying final song, “Defying Gravity” — which also serves as the closing number for the musical’s first act — Erivo delivers a jaw-dropping, applause-worthy performance worth the price of admission alone.

From Salon

Gatland added that he understands "the pressures of international rugby with performances and results".

From BBC

Related Words

• act
• appearance
• behavior
• concert
• dance
• display
• drama
• opera
• play
• portrayal
• presentation
• production
• show