performance
Americannoun
-
performances
plural
-
a musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience.
-
the act of performing a ceremony, play, piece of music, etc.
-
the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc.
-
a particular action, deed, or proceeding.
-
an action or proceeding of an unusual or spectacular kind.
His temper tantrum was quite a performance.
-
the act of performing.
-
the manner in which or the efficiency with which something reacts or fulfills its intended purpose.
-
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.
noun
-
the act, process, or art of performing
-
an artistic or dramatic production
last night's performance was terrible
-
manner or quality of functioning
a machine's performance
-
informal mode of conduct or behaviour, esp when distasteful or irregular
what did you mean by that performance at the restaurant?
-
informal any tiresome procedure
what a performance dressing the children to play in the snow!
-
any accomplishment
-
linguistics (in transformational grammar) the form of the human language faculty, viewed as concretely embodied in speakers Compare competence langue parole
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of performance
Explanation
Performance has to do with doing something: a concert or play is a performance, and if you want to talk about how well the actors did, you'd rate their performance. The main sense of performance is artsy: actors and musicians (and other performers) give performances. You could praise an actor's performance in a movie, but this word extends to other kinds of work and accomplishments as well. If you're failing math, your performance is below par. An athlete can get in trouble for taking performance-enhancing drugs: drugs that make their performance better. Anytime you're talking about how something or someone works — or performs — you're talking about performance.
Vocabulary lists containing performance
Academy Awards, List 6
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
myPerspectives 8.3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To evaluate their prototype, the researchers measured its performance over the course of a day.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Theiss UAV drones there were more than three years old and batteries may not have been at peak performance, which can affect the launch, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The scandal blew up while Lisa was rehearsing for a pivotal performance at the Coachella Festival in 2025.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
More interesting than why the spreads are widening is the disconnect between the stocks’ performance and the credit market’s assessment.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
I’m nervous about my performance, sure, but that’s only a small part of it.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
"You can really feel the warmth in Taiwanese society," said Feng Jing-heng, 70, who was in the crowd watching the military parade and dance performances.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
He understands how to use his innate magnetism to charm his way through even the silliest scripts, occasionally creating a dissonance between the film and his performances that makes even the duds memorable.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
To say that there’s an interesting ethical conflict at work in “Animals”—an imprecise title—is not to say that the performances aren’t phoned in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, known for his intense performances and distinct dialogue delivery, has died at the age of 75 in Goa, his son Malhar told BBC Marathi.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Even if she got rich and famous and did command performances for Edward VII, like she said she would, she couldn’t ever live down the taint.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
