performative speech act

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "performative speech act" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in linguistic and philosophical contexts to refer to utterances that perform an action rather than merely conveying information. Example: "When the judge says 'I hereby sentence you,' it is a performative speech act that carries legal weight."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

This paper is concerned with performative speech acts in European Union fisheries legislation with a view to relating the semantic analysis of directive and expressive speech act verbs to politeness strategies for the management of positive and negative face.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Performative speech acts for Austin are utterances such as "the meeting is now open" or "I now pronounce you husband and wife" in which, uttered under appropriate circumstances, the speech act does something by saying something.

SEP

This complexity gives these medieval discussions a satisfying density: often, also, these examples can illuminate non-theological problems that are now current in philosophy (for example, performative speech acts also bring about what they represent).

SEP

For Derrida, Ponge's highly reflexive style creates fundamental difficulties for any theory of language devoted to the possibility of a rigorous distinction between constative and performative speech acts.

Johns Hopkins University

Further, since it is merely a type of sentence, one can utter a performative without performing a speech act.

SEP

Performative are speech acts which bring about an outcome in the external world (e.g. that the name of the ship is the Queen Elizabeth or that my brother is the owner of what used to be my watch).

SEP

As we have seen, one can perform a speech act without uttering a performative.

SEP

They are only one of many kinds of performative utterance, or speech act (Austin called them "illocutionary acts"), which consist of social acts performed by means of linguistic utterances in appropriate circumstances.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A performative sentence is in the first person, present tense, indicative mood, active voice, that describes its speaker as performing a speech act.

SEP

Realizing this, in later work Searle and Vanderveken (1985) characterize performatives as speech acts having the force of declarations.

SEP

In fact, the doctor is performing an illocutionary speech act (see the entry on Speech Acts).

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "performative speech act" in contexts where you want to emphasize the action-oriented nature of the utterance. For example, you might use it when discussing legal pronouncements or ritualistic declarations.

Common error

Avoid using "performative speech act" to describe utterances that primarily convey information or describe a state of affairs. Ensure the utterance actively brings about a change or performs an action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "performative speech act" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a specific type of utterance that enacts or performs the action it describes. Ludwig AI confirms it is typically found in linguistic and philosophical contexts.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

35%

Academia

33%

News & Media

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "performative speech act" is a technical term primarily used in linguistics and philosophy to describe utterances that perform an action by being spoken. While grammatically correct, its usage is concentrated in academic and scientific contexts. Ludwig AI indicates this term is used to refer to utterances that perform an action rather than merely conveying information. Alternative phrases include "performative utterance" or simply "speech act". When employing this term, ensure the context clearly indicates the action-oriented nature of the utterance, distinguishing it from descriptive language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

performative utterance

Focuses on the utterance itself as the action, rather than the broader speech act.

illocutionary act

Highlights the speaker's intention in performing the act of speaking.

speech act

A broader term encompassing any utterance intended to perform an action.

declarative speech act

Specifies a type of speech act that brings about a change in the state of affairs.

performative statement

Emphasizes the statement aspect of the performative action.

language act

A more general term for actions performed through language.

utterance performing an action

Describes the function of the utterance explicitly.

speech performing a function

Highlights that the speech is actively completing a function.

linguistic act

A broader term that captures any act performed through language.

performative linguistic act

Emphasizes the linguistic nature of the act being performed.

FAQs

What is an example of a "performative speech act"?

An example of a "performative speech act" is when a judge says, "I sentence you to five years in prison." The act of speaking these words performs the action of sentencing.

How does a "performative speech act" differ from a constative utterance?

A "performative speech act" performs an action by being uttered, while a constative utterance merely describes a state of affairs. For instance, saying "I promise" creates an obligation, whereas saying "It is raining" simply describes the weather.

What are some alternatives to the phrase "performative speech act"?

Alternatives to "performative speech act" include "performative utterance", "illocutionary act", or simply "speech act", depending on the desired level of specificity.

In what fields is the concept of a "performative speech act" commonly used?

The concept of a "performative speech act" is commonly used in linguistics, philosophy, and legal theory to analyze how language can perform actions and create social realities.