definitions

perform

[ per-fawrm ]
/ pərˈfɔrm /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perform ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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RELATED WORDS

function, do, execute, finish, complete, work, behave, observe, take, act, meet, implement, operate, achieve, represent, play, give, show, offer, produce

Nearby words

perforating wound, perforation, perforation gauge, perforce, perforin, perform, performance, performance appraisal, performance art, performance bond, performance indicator

Origin of perform

1250–1300; Middle English parformen < Anglo-French parformer, alteration (by association with forme form) of Middle French, Old French parfournir to accomplish. See per-, furnish

Related forms

Synonym study

1. Perform, discharge, execute, transact mean to carry to completion a prescribed course of action. Perform is the general word, often applied to ordinary activity as a more formal expression than do, but usually implying regular, methodical, or prolonged application or work: to perform an exacting task. Discharge implies carrying out an obligation, often a formal or legal one: to discharge one's duties as a citizen. Execute means either to carry out an order or to carry through a plan or program: to execute a maneuver. Transact, meaning to conduct or manage, has commercial connotations: to transact business.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perform

British Dictionary definitions for perform

perform

/ (pəˈfɔːm) /

verb

to carry out or do (an action)
(tr) to fulfil or comply withto perform someone's request
to present or enact (a play, concert, etc) before or otherwise entertain an audiencethe group performed Hamlet
(intr) informal to accomplish sexual intercoursehe performed well

Derived Forms

performable, adjectiveperformer, noun

Word Origin for perform

C14: from Anglo-Norman perfourmer (influenced by forme form), from Old French parfournir, from par- per- + fournir to provide; see furnish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012