performance definition

English performance definition

Alternative forms

• performaunce (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English parfourmaunce; equivalent to perform +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pər-fôrʹ-məns, IPA^(key): /pəɹ.ˈfɔɹ.məns/
  • (UK) IPA^(key): [pə.ˈfɔː.məns]
  • (US) IPA^(key): [pɚ.ˈfɔɹ.məns]

  • Audio (GA)

    (file)

• Hyphenation: per‧for‧mance

Noun

performance (countable and uncountable, plural performances)

1. The act of performing; carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action.

   the performance of an undertaking or a duty

   Though the result wasn't what we were hoping for, I have to commend the performance of the team, never giving up until the end.

   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

     Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.

2. That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; especially, an action of an elaborate or public character.
3. (art) A live show or concert.

   The band played a mix of old and new songs during their 90-minute performance.

   We saw the whole ballet performance from the front row.

4. The amount of useful work accomplished estimated in terms of time needed, resources used, etc.

   Better performance means more work accomplished in shorter time and/or using fewer resources.

5. (linguistics) The actual use of language in concrete situations by native speakers of a language, as opposed to the system of linguistic knowledge they possess (competence), cf. linguistic performance.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "performance": high, poor, improved, superior, excellent, good, peak, top, optimal, low, economic, academic, financial, musical, human, environmental, vocal, cognitive, dynamic, organizational, historical, physical, social, mechanical, electrical, mental, macroeconomic.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• high-performance
• low-performance
• performance art

Related terms

• performant

Descendants

Translations

References

• performance at OneLook Dictionary Search.
• performance in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• performance in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

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Catalan performance definition

Etymology

From English performance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /perˈfɔrməns/^[1]

Noun

performance f (plural performances)

1. performance (a live show or concert)

Further reading

• “performance”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2022

References

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French performance definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English performance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɛʁ.fɔʁ.mɑ̃s/

• audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑ̃s

Noun

performance f (plural performances)

1. (sports) performance

Descendants

• → Turkish: performans

Further reading

• “performance”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian performance definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English performance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /perˈfɔr.mans/^[1]
• Rhymes: -ɔrmans

Noun

performance f (invariable)

1. performance

Synonyms

• (the act of performing) esecuzione
• (accomplishment) prestazione, rendimento
• (show) esibizione

References

Further reading

• performance in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

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Portuguese performance definition

Alternative forms

• perfórmance (uncommon)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English performance.

Pronunciation

Noun

performance f (plural performances)

1. performance (amount of useful work accomplished by someone or something)

   Synonym: desempenho

Further reading

• “performance” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

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Spanish performance definition

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English performance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peɾˈfoɾmans/, [peɾˈfoɾ.mãns]

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeɾfoɾmans/, [ˈpeɾ.foɾ.mãns] (sometimes)

Noun

performance f (plural performances)

1. performance art
2. performance (amount of useful work accomplished)

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “performance”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014