performative


per·for·ma·tive

P0189650 (pər-fôr′mə-tĭv)adj. Relating to or being an utterance that performs an act or creates a state of affairs by the fact of its being uttered under appropriate or conventional circumstances, as a justice of the peace uttering I now pronounce you husband and wife at a wedding ceremony, thus creating a legal union, or as one uttering I promise, thus performing the act of promising.n. A performative utterance.
per·for′ma·tiv′i·ty (-tĭv′ĭ-tē) n.

performative

(pəˈfɔːmətɪv) or

performatory

adj1. (Linguistics) a. denoting an utterance that constitutes some act, esp the act described by the verb. For example, I confess that I was there is itself a confession, and so is performative in the narrower sense, while I'd like you to meet … (effecting an introduction) is performative only in the looser sense. See also locutionary act, illocution, perlocutionb. (as noun): that sentence is a performative. 2. (Linguistics) a. denoting a verb that may be used as the main verb in such an utteranceb. (as noun): "promise" is a performative. perˈformatively adv

per•for•ma•tive

(pərˈfɔr mə tɪv)

adj. 1. (of an expression or statement) performing an act by the very fact of being uttered, as “I promise,” which performs the act of promising. n. 2. a performative utterance.
Translations