performative

Definition

adj. done mainly to impress other people, not because you really mean it. You use it for actions that look good but feel empty.

adj. Describing behaviour or speech done mainly to be seen and approved by others rather than from genuine belief or intent. In philosophy of language, also describes utterances that perform an action simply by being spoken, such as promising, naming, or declaring.

simple

“His apology feels performative and not truly sorry.”

contextual

“She posts about charity work every day, but her friends say her activism is purely performative.”

complex

“The committee's concern for reform struck critics as performative, a carefully staged display of virtue that left underlying structures untouched.”

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “performative” in context.

Verb

01. be performative

“Without follow-up funding, the initiative may be performative.”

verb + adj

02. condemn as performative

“Activists condemned the statement as performative and demanded policy changes.”

verb + prep + adj

03. denounce as performative

“The union denounced the apology as performative and insincere.”

verb + prep + adj

04. dismiss as performative

“Many voters dismissed the promise as performative election rhetoric.”

verb + prep + adj

05. feel performative

“The minute's silence felt performative after years of inaction.”

verb + adj

Adjective

06. highly performative

“The debate felt highly performative, with candidates playing to the cameras.”

adv + adj

07. overly performative

“Her sympathy seemed overly performative and failed to convince the staff.”

adv + adj

Noun

08. performative activism

“She criticised performative activism that prioritises likes over real change.”

adj + noun

09. a purely performative gesture

“The donation was a purely performative gesture with no long-term impact.”

10. condemn the statement as performative

“Rights groups condemned the statement as performative and hollow.”

11. dismiss the apology as performative

“The public dismissed the apology as performative and demanded resignation.”

12. nothing more than performative

“Without concrete reforms, the policy is nothing more than performative.”

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often pairs with nouns like activism, apology, or outrage.

“One said the show has "gone from iconic glamour to an influencer circus" and they felt "social media clout and performative inclusivity have replaced real modeling talent, elegance, and runway presence".”

BBC News 19 Oct 2026

“The inane trappings of untethered wealth are satirised, from orthorexic diets to ayahuasca ceremonies, performative spending and pool parties.”

The Guardian 17 Oct 2026

“The federal funding cuts demonstrate that Trump's pledge to tackle crime in Chicago is "performative" and not his actual goal, said Arne Duncan, former President Barack Obama's Secretary of Education and founder of community violence prevention nonprofit Chicago CRED.”

Reuters 28 Aug 2025