performative

adj. denoting an utterance whose very delivery accomplishes the stated intention of the speaker, as in I apologize, I promise, and I declare this mall open. The nature of performative speech acts received much attention in 20th-century linguistic philosophy. See also illocutionary act.

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Psychology term of the day

December 24th 2024

stenosis of aqueduct of Sylvius

a hereditary or familial disorder, transmitted as an X-linked recessive gene, marked by massive head enlargement at birth and hydrocephalus due to narrowing of the cerebral aqueduct (aqueduct of Silvius). In some cases, the disorder develops insidiously after adulthood rather than as a congenital condition.