English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
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noun

performance

puh-FAW-muhns
noun
1
A live show, such as music, theatre, or dance, presented to an audience.
"The band gave an unforgettable performance at the festival."
2
How well someone or something functions or achieves a result.
"The company's financial performance improved this year."
"His performance in the exam surprised everyone."

How to Use Performance

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a live artistic show, or a measure of how well something or someone does.

Common pairings
live performance poor performance performance review

Word Forms

performances plural

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Fill the Gap

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The band gave an unforgettable _____ at the festival.

Etymology

From Middle English parfourmaunce, formed from "perform" plus the suffix "-ance".

Rhymes for performance

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial