rendition
noun
David SavoldAndrew Amelinckx 
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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.
Synonyms
Examples of rendition in a Sentence
Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Cimino wanted a perfect rendition of an epic Wyoming battle between immigrants and landowners.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
By featuring Black women artists in this rendition, Beyoncé underscores their resilience and significance in the racial justice movement.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
Trump Again Targets Judge s Daughter In New York Criminal Case
Bunny Margarita
This playful rendition of a coconut margarita from @thatsthespirits offers just the right amount of fruity, nutty sweetness to the quintessential margarita.
—Jillian Dara, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Get The Recipe 32 of 40 Chicken Piccata Our rendition of Chicken Piccata with an extra savory and thick sauce simply can't be beaten.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024
All that really leaves are the special effects, which are made-for-Imax fine, though this modern rendition of Kong as a very human-ish biped has never looked quite right, a flaw that’s only multiplied.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Beyoncé’s rendition of the 1973 classic plays shortly after Parton’s interlude and is just one of the many homages on the record.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024
Their rendition is intimate and stirring, hushed and electrifying as the pair harmonizes organically and angelically.
6.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rendition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
obsolete French, from Middle French, alteration of reddition, from Late Latin reddition-, redditio, from Latin reddere to return
1601, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing rendition
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Cite this Entry
“Rendition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rendition. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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rendition
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rendition
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More from Merriam-Webster on rendition
Nglish: Translation of rendition for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rendition for Arabic Speakers
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