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

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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

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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

“Summer is playing her in a way that makes you just want to save her, you want to protect her,” Sloyan says of her young co-star’s rendition in the TV series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Still socially awkward, the rendition of Zuckerberg is now one of a powerful, globally known figure, whose platform generates billions of dollars and is used by millions of people.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

And I wouldn’t be surprised if Pugh’s exquisite, gorgeously brutal rendition leads more of us to her defense.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

The overwhelmingly positive response to Peña’s rendition of the Morrissey-penned tune let him know that people had an appetite to see the Smiths and mariachi blended together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Mrs. Kuen asked me to play for her, so I sat down and pounded out “Everyone Loves My Baby,” or at least my best rendition of it.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

There were some more human-made renditions of Dracaena.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026

After delivering punchy renditions of new tracks Wink Wink, Yeah and Card Declined, she stepped out to change from a black sparkly blazer into a black corseted dress.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

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

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Charity Angél Dawson, who has performed in Broadway productions of “Waitress” and “Chicago,” buttered up the crowd between renditions of songs popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Former beauty queens will attempt to reclaim their titles, and no one will suspect a thing until the talent competition, when they offer their renditions of "Sonny Boy" and "Ain't We Got Fun."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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Related Words

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

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