perlocutionary (adj.)

A term used in the theory of SPEECH ACTS to refer to an act performed by making an UTTERANCE which intrinsically involves an effect on the behavior, beliefs, feelings, etc., of a listener. Examples of perlocutionary acts include frightening, insulting and persuading. A distinction may be drawn between the intended and the actual perlocutionary effect of an utterance (e.g. a speaker may intend to persuade X to do Y, but instead succeed in getting X to do Z). Perlocutionary acts are distinguished from LOCUTIONARY acts (which are mere acts of saying, or uttering words with sense and reference), as well as from ILLOCUTIONARY acts (which are defined without intrinsic reference to their effect on a listener), although a single utterance might involve all three kinds of act.