speech act

noun Philosophy, Linguistics.

any of the acts that may be performed by a speaker in making an utterance, as stating, asking, requesting, advising, warning, or persuading, considered in terms of the content of the message, the intention of the speaker, and the effect on the listener.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for speech act

speech act

noun philosophy

an utterance that constitutes some act in addition to the mere act of uttering

an act or type of act capable of being so performed