performance art

noun

: a nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to an audience or onlookers (as on a street) and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, or painting
performance artist noun

Examples of performance art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Creator and longtime judge Simon Cowell is looking back on nearly two decades of singing, dancing, comedy, magic, dog tricks, performance art, acrobatics, and so much more by shouting out his 20 favorite moments from the show. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 May 2025 The exhibition, on view through May 4, brings together more than 50 pieces, including large-scale photographic grids and immersive installations, videos, paintings and performance art documentation. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025 In 1998, Alexander McQueen staged a frenetic moment of performance art when two robots spray-painted a dress worn by model Shalom Harlow. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 May 2025 Maybe Belichick has decided to turn his life into contemporary performance art. Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for performance art

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of performance art was in 1971

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Cite this Entry

“Performance art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performance%20art. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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