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 But activists say Webb and her force have taken little action to right historic wrongs, and that their participation in the march is performative. Angus Watson, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 These changes should not be fleeting or performative and should certainly not come with ulterior motives tied to performance and goal achievement alone. Dylan Taylor, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 If the initial list is any indication, however, any legislative bans on DEI initiatives might prove more performative than substantial. Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 The role of Jessica James was created especially for Williams by writer-director Jim Strouse, and the character is perfectly customized to flaunt her many comedic and performative strengths. Lia Beck, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2024 Yet Trump’s latest bit of performative amnesia is perhaps his most risible. Christian Schneider, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 Remarkably, Hamas’s attacks were denounced by leaders in the UAE, Bahrain, and elsewhere across the region, and the Arab Street has been far more quiet (including Israeli Arabs) than performative marchers in the West. TIME, 20 Feb. 2024 The problem, as ever with Trump, is that the performative foolishness serves only to divert attention from the real and serious consequences of the Republican Party’s decision to get behind the defeated ex-President for another go at the White House. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024 While that may be an attempt to connect the company’s upper echelon with frontline workers, some experts have criticized this strategy as performative placating amid the coffee chain’s internal turmoil over unionization. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'performative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near performative

Cite this Entry

“Performative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performative. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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