performance
Americannoun
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a musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience.
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the act of performing a ceremony, play, piece of music, etc.
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the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc.
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a particular action, deed, or proceeding.
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an action or proceeding of an unusual or spectacular kind.
His temper tantrum was quite a performance.
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the act of performing.
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the manner in which or the efficiency with which something reacts or fulfills its intended purpose.
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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
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the act, process, or art of performing
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an artistic or dramatic production
last night's performance was terrible
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manner or quality of functioning
a machine's performance
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informal mode of conduct or behaviour, esp when distasteful or irregular
what did you mean by that performance at the restaurant?
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informal any tiresome procedure
what a performance dressing the children to play in the snow!
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any accomplishment
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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
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myPerspectives 8.3
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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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:
Alphabet shares are off 5.8% shortly after Thursday’s open and heading for their worst one-day performance since May 7, 2025, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Berenberg analyst George McWhirter wrote in a note to clients that the company had a stellar performance in the first half, making its annual guidance more achievable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The carrier added that its full-year performance depended on remaining bookings and fuel prices.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
In a nicely balanced performance, Alejandra Villanueva’s Mistress Quickly, the play’s go-between and overseer of mischief, embodies the free and easy spirit of Simon’s production.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
On March 18, two days before the Library Olympic Games were scheduled to start, Mrs. Yunghans, the middle school librarian, showed Team Kyle a viral video of Marjory Muldauer’s brilliant performance at the Midwest finals.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
That the film also had gruesome practical effects, brilliant lead performances and an unforgettably chilling score helped, too.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The drivers of these more optimistic growth assumptions were strong performances from the respective equity divisions but also promising signs from investment banking and wealth management.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Actors drive all the performances, and we use these tools to amplify the sets and the scope of the shows," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
“His fingerprints are everywhere in this industry. His impact extends far beyond the performances we see on screen — it’s woven into the very fabric of Hollywood.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Penelope wondered if the pirates’ second-act performances would be at all improved by their lesson with Richard Burbage, but alas, she would not be there to see it.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
