What does performable mean?
Performable means that something is suitable or possible to perform, especially a play, musical, or other theatrical work. A performable production is not merely a good idea: it has a practical form that can be staged, financed, rehearsed, and presented to an audience. The adjective can also describe an activity or project that is possible to carry out, although this use is less common. The word often appears in conversations about artistic adaptation, technical requirements, budgets, and production plans. It is more formal than everyday alternatives such as playable and can suggest that a work has been considered not only creatively but also in practical terms. Performable is related in meaning and origin to perform, performance, and performer, but it specifically focuses on whether something can be performed.
adjectiveCapable of being performed, especially a play, musical, or other work intended for public presentation. It can also mean practicable enough to be carried out or completed.
- Able to be performed or presented, especially as a play, musical, or other production.
- Possible or practicable to carry out or complete.
"The committee is evaluating whether the revised production is technically and financially performable."
"The workshop helped the students turn their short stories into performable scripts."
"With sufficient funding, the ambitious project may still be performable."
Not every good idea is performable: a work must fit the stage, the budget, and the people bringing it to life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does performable come from?
The adjective was formed in English by adding the suffix -able to perform, producing a word meaning “able to be performed.” Perform comes through Old French from Latin perficere, a form related to per- “through” and facere “to do or make,” reflecting the idea of completing or carrying out an action. The derivative performable developed in the context of theatrical works and other activities that can be carried out.
Related word forms
How performable is actually used
The word is formal and relatively uncommon. It is used especially in discussions of theatre, performance, and project feasibility; in everyday speech, playable or feasible may sound more natural.
Easily confused with performable
A performable work is a play or show that can be presented, whereas performative describes behaviour or speech that is intended for an audience or to make an impression.