rendition
Americannoun
-
renditions
plural
-
the act of rendering.
- Synonyms:
- version, interpretation
-
a translation.
-
an interpretation, as of a role or a piece of music.
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the legal procedure or process of sending a suspected criminal to another country to be interrogated or detained, usually for law-enforcement purposes.
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Archaic. surrender.
noun
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a performance of a musical composition, dramatic role, etc
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a translation of a text
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the act of rendering
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archaic surrender
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing rendition
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
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Academy Awards, List 4
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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:
The crowd burst into applause and a rendition of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" broke out as it made its way through the coastal village on Swansea's southwestern edge.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
"I'm pretty happy with that," the never-knowingly overstated Scott told BBC Sport after an emotional rendition of Flower of Scotland.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Price’s rendition of “De Colores” sounds and feels like you’re standing in a sun-drenched plaza.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
For God knows what reason, the Stones offer up a faithful rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” with Jagger on harmonica.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
I don't know how the original sounds, but this guy's howler-monkey a cappella rendition of it leaves a lot to be desired.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
In animated renditions streaming on HBO Max, the Green Lantern fares much better.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
Tomlinson also hyped the crowd with lively renditions of his solo hits Imposter, Lemonade and Sunflowers.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
Her home is a shrine to Regency England; a life-size cutout of actor Colin Firth—from what many consider the best of the many renditions of “Pride & Prejudice”—stands watch over her much-ruffled bedroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
As for the songs from musicals, we choose nine distinct renditions of "Over the Rainbow," including a reggae one.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
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.
