Discover published sets by community

A speech act that involves making a meaningful statement. Example: Saying 'The sun is shining' to convey that it's a sunny day.

An act performed via the utterance with a certain communicative intent. Example: Saying 'I apologize' to perform the act of apologizing.

The effect the utterance has on the feelings, thoughts, or actions of the listener. Example: Convincing someone to believe something by saying 'I saw him do it'.

A statement that performs an action simply by virtue of it being expressed. Example: Saying 'I pronounce you husband and wife' during a wedding ceremony.

A statement that can be described as either true or false. Example: Claiming 'The cat is on the mat'.

An utterance that explicitly states the action being performed, usually contains a performative verb. Example: 'I promise to attend the meeting'.

A performative utterance where the performative action is not directly stated but is implied. Example: Saying 'You will be repaid' to implicitly promise repayment.

Conditions that must be met for a performative utterance to be deemed appropriate or to take effect. Example: 'I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth' would require the speaker to have the authority to name the ship.

Occurs when the conditions for a successful performative utterance are not met. Example: A stranger declaring 'I hereby open this bridge' without any authority.

The theory that asserts utterances can function as actions and have performative force. Example: The act of making a bet by saying 'I bet you five dollars it will rain tomorrow'.

A situation in which the content of a statement contradicts the performance of saying it. Example: Stating 'I am not speaking' as you say it.

A concept that relates to the capability of speech to perform a certain action. Example: The word 'sorry' can perform the action of apologizing.

The aspect of speech acts that allows them to be repeatable in new contexts. Example: 'I promise' can be used in countless situations with similar performative effects.

Refers to the agreement by a community to accept certain utterances as having a specific function or meaning. Example: 'Guilty' as used by a judge to perform the act of sentencing.