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Perform vs. Preform — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 11, 2023
"Perform" means to carry out, execute, or present an action, task, or show. "Preform" means to shape or create in advance, usually as a preliminary step to something else.
Perform vs. Preform — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Perform and Preform

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Key Differences

"Perform" often denotes the execution or presentation of a task, action, or event. It could involve anything from singing on stage to completing a job. "Preform," on the other hand, is more specific and usually means to shape or create something in advance, often as a precursor to further manufacturing or processing.
While "perform" can be used in a broad range of contexts, including arts, sciences, and daily life, "preform" is more commonly used in manufacturing and material sciences. For example, you perform a dance, but you preform a plastic component to be used in a larger assembly.
In terms of grammatical usage, "perform" and "preform" are both verbs, but their prefixes signify different actions. "Per-" in perform implies thoroughness or completeness in action, while "pre-" in preform implies action in advance.
"Perform" has several derivatives, like performance and performer, expanding its lexical family. "Preform" is a more specialized term and has fewer derivatives, usually sticking to technical contexts.
Both words, though only one letter apart, serve very different purposes. "Perform" is likely to be more commonly encountered in day-to-day English, while "preform" would be encountered in more specialized, technical contexts.
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Comparison Chart

Meaning

Execution or presentation
Shaping in advance

Context

Broad range
Manufacturing/materials

Grammatical Role

Verb
Verb

Prefix

"Per-" implies completeness
"Pre-" implies prior action

Derivatives

Performance, Performer
Fewer derivatives

Compare with Definitions

Perform

To carry out an action or task.
She will perform surgery tomorrow.

Preform

To shape or create in advance.
They preform the metal before molding.

Perform

To conduct or carry out a formal act.
She performed the ceremony.

Preform

To arrange or set in advance.
The tasks are preformed in the schedule.

Perform

To present an art form to an audience.
The band will perform tonight.

Preform

To set or fix beforehand.
The software preforms default settings.

Perform

To operate or function in a specific manner.
The car performs well on highways.

Preform

To make a preliminary version.
The factory preforms the plastic sheets.

Perform

To accomplish or fulfill something.
He performed his duties diligently.

Preform

To fashion or construct preliminarily.
The artist preforms a clay model.

Perform

Carry out, accomplish, or fulfil (an action, task, or function)
I have my duties to perform

Preform

Form (something) beforehand
A preformed pool

Perform

Present (a form of entertainment) to an audience
The play has already been performed in Britain

Preform

To shape or form beforehand.

Perform

To begin and carry through to completion; do
The surgeon performed the operation.

Preform

To determine the shape or form of beforehand.

Perform

To take action in accordance with the requirements of; fulfill
Perform one's contractual obligations.

Preform

An object that has been subjected to preliminary, usually incomplete shaping or molding before undergoing complete or final processing.

Perform

To enact (a feat or role) before an audience.

Preform

(Linguistics) A reconstructed ancestral word or form.

Perform

To give a public presentation of; present
My theater group performed a three-act play.

Preform

An object that has undergone preliminary shaping but is not yet in its final form.

Perform

To function or accomplish something as expected or required
A car that performs well on curves.
Workers not performing up to standard.

Preform

(archaeology) The rough, incomplete and unused basic form of a stone tool.

Perform

To yield a return on investment
Stocks that performed well.

Preform

(linguistics) A word that is no longer in use, but has been reconstructed from current ones.

Perform

To portray a role or demonstrate a skill before an audience
The juggler performed atop a unicycle.

Preform

To shape something before some other operation.

Perform

To present a dramatic or musical work or other entertainment before an audience.

Preform

To form beforehand, or for special ends.

Perform

(transitive) To do (something); to execute.
The scientists performed several experiments.
It took him only twenty minutes to perform the task.

Preform

Form into a shape resembling the final, desired one

Perform

(intransitive) To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work.
The new employee performs well.

Preform

Form or shape beforehand or determine the shape of beforehand

Perform

(law) To act in a way set forth in a contract.

Perform

(transitive) To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s terms of (a contract).
Failure to perform a contract on time may constitute a breach of contract.

Perform

(intransitive) To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms.
They entered into an agreement and now they are obliged to perform.

Perform

(ambitransitive) To do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain.
She will perform in the play.
The magician performed badly—none of his tricks worked.
The string quartet performed three pieces by Haydn.

Perform

To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of (a quality, character trait, etc.); to feign.
The accused only performed remorse.

Perform

(social science) Of a social actor, to behave in certain ways.

Perform

(transitive) To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape, (a social notion or role).
Perform masculinity
Perform authority

Perform

(intransitive) To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts.
Individuals in societies perform all the time.

Perform

To carry through; to bring to completion; to achieve; to accomplish; to execute; to do.
I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me.
Great force to perform what they did attempt.

Perform

To discharge; to fulfill; to act up to; as, to perform a duty; to perform a promise or a vow.
To perform your father's will.

Perform

To represent; to act; to play; as in drama.
Perform a part thou hast not done before.

Perform

To do, execute, or accomplish something; to acquit one's self in any business; esp., to represent sometimes by action; to act a part; to play on a musical instrument; as, the players perform poorly; the musician performs on the organ.

Perform

Carry out or perform an action;
John did the painting, the weeding, and he cleaned out the gutters
The skater executed a triple pirouette
She did a little dance

Perform

Perform a function;
Who will perform the wedding?

Perform

Give a performance (of something);
Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight
We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera

Perform

Get (something) done;
I did my job

Common Curiosities

Are Perform and Preform interchangeable?

No, they have different meanings and are used in different contexts.

Is Perform only used in arts and entertainment?

No, "perform" is used in various contexts including work, tasks, and functionality.

Is Preform a technical term?

Generally, yes. It is most commonly used in manufacturing and material sciences.

What does Preform mean?

"Preform" means to shape or create something in advance.

What is the prefix in Perform?

The prefix "per-" implies thoroughness or completeness in action.

What is the prefix in Preform?

The prefix "pre-" implies action taken in advance.

Is Perform a noun or a verb?

"Perform" is primarily a verb.

Are there derivatives of Perform?

Yes, like performance and performer.

Are there derivatives of Preform?

Fewer, and mostly in technical contexts.

Is Preform a noun or a verb?

"Preform" is primarily a verb.

Can Perform mean to function well?

Yes, as in "the car performs well."

What does Perform mean?

"Perform" means to carry out or execute a task, action, or event.

Is Preform used in everyday language?

Not typically; it's more common in specialized fields like manufacturing.

Can you Perform a Preform?

You can perform the action of preforming, such as shaping a material in advance.

How do you spell Perform and Preform?

Perform is spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-M, and Preform is spelled P-R-E-F-O-R-M.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.

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