performative
[per-fawr-muh-tiv]
|
adjective Philosophy, Linguistics.
(of an expression or statement) performing an act by the very fact of being uttered, as with the expression “I promise,” that performs the act of promising.
noun
a performative utterance.
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Nearby words
- performance art,
- performance bond,
- performance indicator,
- performance test,
- performance-enhancing,
- performer,
- performing,
- performing arts,
- perfume,
- perfumed
Compare constative.
Origin of performative
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for performative
George and his brother Richard are the founders of Major League Eating, but George is the performative half of the duo.
It was a technical and performative dance and everyone needed to be on time and in time.
Lupita Nyong’o On Her Magical Journey from Kenya to ‘12 Years A Slave’ and Possible Oscar Glory|Marlow Stern|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEASTThis, you could say, is the tension at the heart of much of the West's performative art.
performative
adjective linguistics philosophy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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performative
1955, adjective and noun, coined by British philosopher of language J.L. Austin (1911-1960), from perform + -ive.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper