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Dictionary

per•for•ma•tive

Pronunciation: (pur-fôr'mu-tiv), [key]
—adj. Philos., Ling.
(of an expression or statement) performing an act by the very fact of being uttered, as with the expression “I promise,” that performs the act of promising.

—n.
a performative utterance. Cf. constative.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

performance test

performing arts

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