performativity

noun

per·​for·​ma·​tiv·​i·​ty pər-ˌfȯr-mə-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce performativity (audio)
pə-
: the quality or state of being performative
especially, often disapproving : the state of being made or done for show (as to bolster one's own image or make a positive impression on others)
Why would he not be obsessed with the performativity of social media, of buffing up appearances? Suzanne Moore

Examples of performativity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The New Barbizon painters were serious about painting, but their adventures had a certain performativity about them. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024 The Olympic website, however, says that judges score 1-on-1 battles on creativity, musicality, personality, technique, performativity and variety. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2024 Athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics battled against each other one-on-one as a panel of judges rated their performances based on six different criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024 Judges will award points based on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. Heather L. Whitley, Southern Living, 25 July 2024 Judges will score them on creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 July 2024 And the film was also ahead of its time for exposing the performativity of gender in an accessible way. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 28 June 2024 And Who Won’t With emphasis on nuance and the power of narrative, Charlamagne explores the notions of conversation, the toxicity of social media, performativity and politics in his new book Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 June 2024 Thinking Berkeley philosopher Judith Butler’s theory of gender for the 21st century A primer on Judith Butler’s theory of gender and performativity. Big Think, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

performative + -ity

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of performativity was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near performativity

Cite this Entry

“Performativity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performativity. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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