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

For a certain swath of millennials, Dan Finnerty’s rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of The Heart” in the frat comedy “Old School” is its definitive performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

That Trumbull’s large rendition at the Capitol continues to draw such crowds would surely please Trumbull beyond measure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

It is also used by Democrats and Republicans alike for political conventions and events: Marilyn Monroe famously performed her legendary rendition of "Happy Birthday" for then president John F. Kennedy at a 1962 fundraiser.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Courtesy of Yankee Magazine’s Amy Traverso, this simplified rendition of old-fashioned chicken and dumplings starts with store-bought chicken stock, a rotisserie chicken and drop dumplings.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

There were mock lectures and sermons, and then Kerr, the second engineer, made an entrance dressed as a tramp and began singing a ridiculous rendition of “Spagoni the Toreador.”

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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

Malone also offered up country-fied renditions of some of his older songs, including “Circles” — it’s about his favorite shape, he noted — “Rockstar” and “Sunflower,” which sounded especially lovely in this rootsy setting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

It also played renditions of other popular Hindi melodies.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

The Duchess of Sussex’s latest Netflix special, “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” features a handful of recipes, ranging from her childhood favorites to unique renditions of holiday classics.

From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025

Lily may be the least helpful helper in the family, but she entertains me with screamed renditions of Disney songs and informs me when she thinks my T-shirts are ugly.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

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