rendition

American  

[ren-dish-uhn] / rɛnˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

• renditions
  plural

1. the act of rendering.

   Synonyms:

   version, interpretation

2. a translation.

3. an interpretation, as of a role or a piece of music.

4. the legal procedure or process of sending a suspected criminal to another country to be interrogated or detained, usually for law-enforcement purposes.

5. Archaic. surrender.

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rendition British  

/ rɛnˈdɪʃən /

noun

1. a performance of a musical composition, dramatic role, etc

2. a translation of a text

3. the act of rendering

4. archaic surrender

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verb

1. (tr) to subject (a person) to extraordinary rendition

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrendition
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• renditions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rendition

1595–1605; < Middle French, alteration of reddition (< Middle English reddicion ) < Late Latin redditiōn- (stem of redditiō ), equivalent to Latin reddit ( us ) (past participle of reddere; see render ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A rendition is an interpretation, performance, or translation. Whitney Houston's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is still used at games today; Roseanne Barr's is not. This word comes from the Old French rendre, which means “to deliver, yield.” So if you want to put your spin on a song or poem or your favorite movie monologue, go ahead and deliver your rendition of it. But know that in modern times this word has also been used as a noun, describing the secret capture and interrogation of a terror suspect in a foreign country that has less strict human rights laws.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rendition renditions

But when he ripped off his "boring black trousers" to reveal a pair of tartan trews during a rendition of Donald, Where's Your Troosers? there was no doubt of his heritage.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

"We are asking those involved in this illegal rendition that has put Dr Besigye on his deathbed be addressed and those responsible be held accountable," said Hussein Khalid of rights group Vocal Africa.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Earlier in the evening, she performed a brief, bright rendition of “Man I Need,” prancing in time with her band for a crowd dense with stars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Percussion underneath, horns above, their rendition of “Tequila!” with a ska spirit.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

Ruthanne did such a fine rendition that we were pleasantly spooked—until we heard a clattering noise in the hallway.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

In animated renditions streaming on HBO Max, the Green Lantern fares much better.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Fans who had previously been happy cheering wins with lusty renditions of “Sweet Caroline” don’t mind that it has been shoved aside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Bocelli would return to Mar-a-Lago for an early-2024 “charity” event, however, and Trump would keep playing his operatic renditions at his campaign stops.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

And of course at the heart of it was powerful renditions of a host of her hits, including Stay For Something, When A Good Man Cries and I Don't Really Care For You.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

As for the songs from musicals, we choose nine distinct renditions of "Over the Rainbow," including a reggae one.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

Related Words

• depiction
• interpretation
• portrayal
• presentation
• rendering
• transcription
• translation
• version