rendition

noun

ren·di·tion | \ ren-ˈdi-shən

Definition of rendition

: the act or result of rendering something: such as

a : surrender

b : translation

c : performance, interpretation

Did You Know?

Rendition entered English in the early 17th century and can be traced to the Middle French word reddition and ultimately to the Latin verb reddere, meaning "to return." The English verb "render" is another descendant of "reddere," so perhaps it is no surprise that "rendition" fundamentally means "the act or result of rendering." English speakers also once adopted "reddition" itself (meaning either "restitution, surrender" or "elucidation"), but that word has mostly dropped out of use. Incidentally, if you've guessed that "surrender" is also from the same word family, you may be right; surrender derives in part from the Anglo-French rendre, which likely influenced the alteration of "reddition" to "rendition."

Examples of rendition in a Sentence

a moving rendition of an old gospel song a new rendition of the text in English

Recent Examples on the Web

Popkin and Feldman had helped organize the Philadelphia rendition of the nationwide Writers Resist demonstration of January 2017, the weekend before the inauguration of President Trump. — John Timpane, Philly.com, "Nathaniel Popkin is a Philly author with a rare double play - two new books at once," 11 July 2018 Disney World has released its first partial list of narrators for the 2018 rendition of Candlelight Processional, the popular holiday event at Epcot. — Dewayne Bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney: Familiar narrators set for Epcot's Candlelight Processional," 9 July 2018 From the glory of Babe's Chicken Dinner House's sorghum biscuits to the billowy renditions in downhome diners, Arlington might be the biscuit capital of Texas. — Bud Kennedy, star-telegram, "In Arlington, the Fork in the Road leads to classic breakfast and biscuits," 20 June 2018 The special rendition of the familiar song was arranged in honor of the Paramount Network's new series, American Woman, which premieres on June 7. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Kelly Clarkson Brought the House Down in Her First-Ever CMT Award Show Performance," 7 June 2018 In the hallways leading to their rooms, student renditions of classic Georges Seurat and Claude Monet line the walls. — Michael Walsh, Courant Community, "Artist Works To Inspire Duffy Elementary Students," 4 Apr. 2018 This year, history-rich Boston celebrates America’s 242nd birthday with the 44th rendition of that very event, the Fourth of July Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, known to draw over half a million people. — Cassie Shortsleeve, Condé Nast Traveler, "Where to Watch the 4th of July Fireworks 2018 in Boston," 4 July 2018 In the most recent rendition of the experiment, things went seriously wrong. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "What Happens When a Mars Simulation Goes Awry?," 23 June 2018 Bacon appears in this rendition, too, but instead of fatty lardons, small cubes of lean Canadian bacon are browned in the skillet to start the dish. — Ellie Krieger, charlotteobserver, "Eggs in a hole, French edition," 12 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rendition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.