performance

[ per-fawr-muh ns ]

/ pərˈfɔr məns /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR performance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience.

the act of performing a ceremony, play, piece of music, etc.

the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc.

a particular action, deed, or proceeding.

an action or proceeding of an unusual or spectacular kind: His temper tantrum was quite a performance.

the act of performing.

the manner in which or the efficiency with which something reacts or fulfills its intended purpose.

Linguistics. the actual use of language in real situations, which may or may not fully reflect a speaker's competence, being subject to such nonlinguistic factors as inattention, distraction, memory lapses, fatigue, or emotional state. Compare competence(def 6).

Origin of performance

First recorded in 1485–95; perform + -ance

OTHER WORDS FROM performance

mis·per·form·ance, noun re·per·form·ance, noun

Words nearby performance

perforation, perforation gauge, perforce, perforin, perform, performance, performance appraisal, performance art, performance bond, performance indicator, performance test

Example sentences from the Web for performance

The hope was that greater transparency about performance would drive results.

The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future |Jonah Edelman |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Tony Shalhoub, Act One Sometimes you realize the power of a performance only when it remains in your mind many months later.

Hedwig, Hugh & Michael Cera: 12 Powerhouse Theater Performances of 2014 |Janice Kaplan |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Having graduated Juilliard last spring, Alex Sharp is too young to have given the performance of a lifetime.

Hedwig, Hugh & Michael Cera: 12 Powerhouse Theater Performances of 2014 |Janice Kaplan |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Worse still is how much of this is being made into performance.

Public Marriage Proposals Must Die |Tauriq Moosa |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Her very first performance onstage came at the age of 4, when she cameoed as a dancing flower in the musical Bye Bye Birdie.

Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom |Marlow Stern |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This was Madame Malibran, under the effect of my father's performance of the Gamester, which she had just witnessed.

Records of a Girlhood |Frances Ann Kemble
Whatever you may think of my economical measures, the deed is done, and my honour is now pledged for the performance.

Private letters of Edward Gibbon (1753-1794) Volume 2 (of 2) |Edward Gibbon
The good- humoured Italians did not even resent the fellows having thus disturbed and interrupted the performance.

Recollections Of My Childhood And Youth |George Brandes
The report of the new piece is often written and set up before the performance takes place.

Atlantic Monthly,Volume 14, No. 82, August, 1864 |Various
Hence, the performance of every function is, in a sense, a moral obligation.

A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution |C. M. Williams

British Dictionary definitions for performance

performance

/ (pəˈfɔːməns) /

noun

the act, process, or art of performing

an artistic or dramatic production last night's performance was terrible

manner or quality of functioning a machine's performance

informal mode of conduct or behaviour, esp when distasteful or irregular what did you mean by that performance at the restaurant?

informal any tiresome procedure what a performance dressing the children to play in the snow!

any accomplishment

linguistics (in transformational grammar) the form of the human language faculty, viewed as concretely embodied in speakers Compare competence (def. 5), langue, parole (def. 5)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

performance

noun

Origin of performance

OTHER WORDS FROM performance

Words nearby performance

Example sentences from the Web for performance

British Dictionary definitions for performance

noun

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

performance

noun

Origin of performance

OTHER WORDS FROM performance

Words nearby performance

Words related to performance

Example sentences from the Web for performance

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noun

British Dictionary definitions for performance