Meaning & use
performative
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Describing an action done more for show than out of genuine belief or feeling.
See it in a sentence
Critics called the company's donation a performative gesture rather than real change.
Her apology felt performative, as if it were meant for an audience rather than sincere.
A note on using this word
Widely used today to criticize actions seen as done only for public approval, distinct from its original, more technical linguistic meaning.
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Another way to use it
2. adjective
(linguistics) Describing an utterance that itself performs the act it names, such as "I apologize."
J. L. Austin's theory of performative utterances changed how linguists study language.
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