performative

adjective

per·​for·​ma·​tive pər-ˈfȯr-mə-tiv How to pronounce performative (audio)
pə-
1
: relating to or marked by public, often artistic performance
… comes across as funny, sharp and unfiltered, with a broad performative streak.Meredith Blake
The secret … behind a magic trick is normally quite simple, but it's the magician's performative flair and masterly execution that makes it come to life.Ian Frisch
For me, this changed the atmosphere of the night from performative to meditative, from a concert to a private memorial service.Catherine Womack
2
disapproving : made or done for show (as to bolster one's own image or make a positive impression on others)
But when expressing outrage is as easy as posting a hashtag, a meme, or an empty black square, there's a question of whether that outrage is genuine or performative.Alia E. Dastigir
… a large part of the discussion surrounding the movement's focus is on actually doing the work, rather than just keeping it a performative symbol of allyship.Kara Nesvig
Without black executives, anti-racism signaling is merely performative.Charles Chamberlayne
3
: determined and reinforced by the repeated performance of socially prescribed acts and behaviors rather than by biological factors
The view that gender is performative sought to show that what we take to be an internal essence of gender is manufactured through a sustained set of acts …Judith Butler
I join scholars who have argued that race is socially constructed and performative, but I keep my eye on what race and racial identity mean to those who are racialized.Allyson Hobbs
4
grammar : being or relating to an expression (such as a word or statement) that performs the act it specifies or that effects a transaction (see transaction sense 2b)
a performative verb such as promise
performative utterances such as 'thank you' and 'I apologize'
A performative speech act is one that does the act that it describes by the words it uses.Roger W. Shuy
When I say 'I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth' I do not describe the christening ceremony, I actually perform the christening. … Now these kinds of utterance are what we call performative utterances.J. L. Austin
compare constative
performative noun
plural performatives
… legal performatives such as "I sentence you" or "I pronounce you man and wife." Spencer Bokat-Lindell

Examples of performative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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While the elaborate costumes, hierarchy and performative face-offs pay homage to the Indigenous people, the songs and dance style are deeply rooted in their African heritage. Martie Bowser, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 He was punished for the performative act with a technical. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025 White has a real ear for the way women talk about mutual friends behind their back, with its mixture of performative empathy and barely concealed judgment. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025 The resolution, passed with AfD votes, promised performative toughness, which Merz has since admitted would be unenforceable. Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for performative

Word History

Etymology

perform + -ative

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of performative was in 1922

Cite this Entry

“Performative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performative. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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