performatives

Performatives are statements that do not just describe a situation but actually perform an action through their very utterance. For example, when someone says "I apologize" or "I promise," they are not just talking about apologizing or promising—they are actively carrying out the act of apologizing or promising by saying it. In essence, performatives are language acts that accomplish something as they are spoken, often in social or legal contexts, shifting the state of affairs rather than merely reporting on them.