What does nonperformance mean?
Nonperformance is a formal noun meaning a failure to carry out an obligation, perform a required function, or meet a contractual commitment. It is most familiar in legal and business English, where the nonperformance of a promise or duty can allow the other party to suspend its own obligations, seek damages, or terminate the agreement, depending on the contract and applicable law. Outside those contexts, the word can describe any conspicuous failure to act or complete an expected role, often with the connotation that a serious commitment has been neglected. It is usually written as one word, although non-performance is also encountered, particularly in attributive use. Because it is more precise than failure, which can describe any poor result, nonperformance highlights the absence or inadequacy of an action that was required. The word is useful when the issue is not merely low quality but whether a promised duty was carried out at all.
nounThe failure to perform a duty, function, or obligation, especially a contractual commitment.
- The failure to carry out a required action, perform a function, or fulfill an obligation, especially a contractual commitment.
"The supplier's failure to meet the delivery deadline was deemed nonperformance under the agreement."
"Repeated nonperformance by the contractor allowed the client to terminate the agreement."
"The report documented the team's nonperformance of several essential operational duties."
The plural is formed regularly and is used when referring to multiple distinct failures to perform.
"The audit identified repeated nonperformances across several suppliers."
A broken promise may be serious; in contract law, its nonperformance is what turns the promise into a dispute.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonperformance come from?
Nonperformance is an English compound formed from the prefix non-, meaning "not," and the noun performance. The prefix comes ultimately from Latin, while performance entered English through French and is also rooted in Latin. Related English words such as perform and performer preserve the same verbal and noun base.
Related word forms
How nonperformance is actually used
This is a formal word used most often in legal, business, and institutional contexts. It is commonly written as one word, although the hyphenated form "non-performance" is also encountered, particularly when used before a noun.
Easily confused with nonperformance
Nonperformance is a general failure to fulfill an obligation, whereas nonpayment specifically means failure to pay money owed.