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Word of the Day Tuesday, June 9, 2026

performative

/pɜːrfɔːr.mətɪv/ adjective · British & US
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What does performative mean?

adjective

Relating to or being a statement or action that performs the action it describes, often used in linguistics and philosophy to describe speech acts. For example, the phrase 'I promise' is a performative statement because it performs the action of promising.

Example

"The philosopher's use of performative language in her speech was a key aspect of her argument."

Definition generated by AI and curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.

Synonyms for performative

Antonyms of performative

Rhymes with performative

Etymologically related