perform
verbUK /pəˈfɔːm/ · US /pɚˈfɔɹm/
Etymology
From Middle English parformen, performen (“to perform”), from Anglo-Norman performer, parfourmer, alteration of Old French parfornir, parfurnir (“to complete, accomplish, perform”), from par- + fornir, furnir (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Frankish *frummjan (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, *framjaną (“to further, promote”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“in front, forth”), *per- (“forward, out”). Cognate with Old High German frummen (“to do, execute, accomplish, provide”), Old Saxon frummian (“to perform, promote”), Old English fremman (“to perform, execute, carry out, accomplish”). See also frame, from. Modernly, rather than Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, associated with Latin formō, analyzable as per- + form.
9 senses
- 1To do (something); to execute.
- 2To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
- 3Of a man, to be able to initiate or fulfill an act of…
- 4To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s…
- 5To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms.
- 6To do (something) in front of an audience, such as…
- 7To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of…
- 8To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape…
- 9To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts.
To do (something); to execute.
- The scientists performed several experiments.
- It took him only twenty minutes to perform the task.
1 more example
- Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:
To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
- The new employee performs well.
- I could care less how she perform when she in the bed2003, “P.I.M.P.”, in Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent:
› To act in a way set forth in a contract.
Law To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s terms of (a contract).
- Failure to perform a contract on time may constitute a breach of contract.
Law To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms.
- They entered into an agreement and now they are obliged to perform.
Ambitransitive To do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain.
- She will perform in the play.
- The magician performed badly—none of his tricks worked.
2 more examples
- The string quartet performed three pieces by Haydn.
- Perform a part thou hast not done before.c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
Broadly To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of (a quality, character trait, etc.); to feign.
- The accused only performed remorse.
- As things now stand, Brexit is a pointless gesture, a politics of headlines in which sovereignty is performed by bleating world-beating absurdities.2021, David Edgerton, “The one good thing to come out of Brexit: a bonfire of national illusions”, in The Guardian:
› Of a social actor, to behave in certain ways.
Human sciences, Sciences, Social science, Social sciences To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape, (a social notion or role).
- perform masculinity
- perform authority
1 more example
- Even before her seven decades as monarch began, she performed Britishness more intuitively than anyone ever had, or likely ever will again.2022 September 9, Sophie Gilbert, “No One Performed Britishness Better Than Her Majesty”, in The Atlantic:
Human sciences, Sciences, Social science, Social sciences To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts.
- Individuals in societies perform all the time.
- Derived terms
- coperform, misperform, nonperforming, non-performing loan, outperform, overperform, performability, performable, performance, performant, performation, performative, performativity, performator, performatory, performent, performer, reperform, underperform, unperform, unperformed
- Related terms
- preform, preformance