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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.

“If you forced me to make a prediction,” Korobkin said, “I’m going to bet on money damages rather than specific performance, but I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026

A seller who tries to walk away may face a different prospect—a suit for specific performance, where the court is asked to force the sale of the property to the buyer, Goldstein said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Evercore strategist Julian Emanuel identified stocks that could rebound by screening for specific performance, valuation, and market capitalization criteria.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 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

It is true that in some instances equity does what is called compelling specific performance.

From The Common Law by Holmes, Oliver Wendell

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