specific performance

American

noun

Law.

(especially in the sale of land) literal compliance with one's contractual promises pursuant to a judicial mandate.

specific performance British

noun

law a remedy awarded by a court requiring a person to fulfil obligations under a contract where damages are an insufficient remedy

"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

Etymology

Origin of specific performance

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

OpenAI and Broadcom didn’t disclose specific performance measures but said a more-detailed technical report will be presented in the coming months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Rather than targeting raw qubit count, the company has shifted its focus to fidelity-driven scaling, ensuring its hardware reaches specific performance benchmarks before increasing system size.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

The judge said specific performance could be available in a situation involving an actual breach or an anticipatory breach of the contract.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

The two men obviously came into the debate with some very specific performance strategies and they both did what they needed to do.

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2024

When we say "enforced" we of course mean that the laborer may not be compelled to carry it out; what, in the law, we call specific performance.

From Popular Law-making by Stimson, Frederic Jesup

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023