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rendition

noun
ren·​di·​tion | \ ren-ˈdi-shən How to pronounce rendition (audio) \

Definition of rendition

: the act or result of rendering something: such as
a : surrender
b : translation
c : performance, interpretation

see also extraordinary rendition

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about rendition

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Did You Know?

Rendition entered English in the early 17th century and can be traced to the Middle French word reddition and ultimately to the Latin verb reddere, meaning "to return." The English verb "render" is another descendant of "reddere," so perhaps it is no surprise that "rendition" fundamentally means "the act or result of rendering." English speakers also once adopted "reddition" itself (meaning either "restitution, surrender" or "elucidation"), but that word has mostly dropped out of use. Incidentally, if you've guessed that "surrender" is also from the same word family, you may be right; surrender derives in part from the Anglo-French rendre, which likely influenced the alteration of "reddition" to "rendition."

Examples of rendition in a Sentence

a moving rendition of an old gospel song a new rendition of the text in English

Recent Examples on the Web

 Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid In its first rendition outside of Europe, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid -- two clubs that have been at odds for well over a century -- write a new chapter in their storied derby history. — Julius Long And And Jill Martin, CNN, "A French cyclist may win Tour de France and more to watch in sports this weekend," 26 July 2019 Matthijs de Ligt took to the stage and produced his own rendition of Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds'. — SI.com, "Watch: De Ligt, Buffon, Rabiot, Higuain Sing Initiation Songs for Juventus Teammates," 24 July 2019 With an ever-growing number of people completing the Coast-to-Crest Trail Challenge, its third annual rendition has five more options to complete by next summer. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Pomerado News, "Popular trail challenge returns for a third year," 18 July 2019 Their latest rendition in Coral Springs has been open just over a year. — Claire Perez, sun-sentinel.com, "Little Havana’s chimichurri sauce goes with everything," 12 July 2019 The Teen Professional Theatre performed its rendition of this original musical during the summer of 2016. — Carolyn Kelemen, Howard County Times, "No time for Mother's Day, the show must go on," 17 May 2018 What made Hendrix’s rendition so remarkable was his ability to fuse protest horror with patriotism and hope. — Mark Clague, The Conversation, "Fifty years ago, Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock anthem expressed the hopes and fears of a nation," 14 Aug. 2019 Fans will also find faithful renditions of the treat up in Canada. — Anna Ben Yehuda Rahmanan, Fortune, "Vietnamese Egg Coffee Is Taking North America by Storm–but What Is It?," 3 Aug. 2019 Drive down California’s musical road This peculiar stretch of road in Lancaster, California, creates a rendition of Rossini’s William Tell overture (used as the theme song for The Lone Ranger). — Trevor Cox, National Geographic, "15 musical wonders to see—and hear," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rendition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rendition

1601, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rendition

obsolete French, from Middle French, alteration of reddition, from Late Latin reddition-, redditio, from Latin reddere to return

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More Definitions for rendition

rendition

noun
How to pronounce rendition (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rendition

: a performance of something

See the full definition for rendition in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rendition

noun
ren·​di·​tion | \ ren-ˈdi-shən How to pronounce rendition (audio) \

Kids Definition of rendition

: an act or a result of performing He played his own rendition of a popular tune.

rendition

noun
ren·​di·​tion | \ ren-ˈdi-shən How to pronounce rendition (audio) \

Legal Definition of rendition

1 : the act or result of rendering the Court's rendition of judgment
2 : extradition of a fugitive who has fled to another state

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cataract

play

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