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

The series, like his Comedy Central series Nathan For You, features Fielder playing a version of himself, working with real people and actors in a kaleidoscopic genre-bending performance art that might be described as quasi-investigative comedic documentary. —Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

The brand just dropped New Models, a live, reality TV-style casting show that’s part competition, part performance art, and 100% Telfar. —Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 20 June 2025

Canyon, a new institution centering sound, video, and performance art, is set to open in New York in 2026. —News Desk, Artforum, 16 June 2025

From the Dating Game to regular appearances on The David Letterman Show, Reubens never broke character, living his dream of doing performance art in mainstream pop culture. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for performance art

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart