A rendition is a particular performance or interpretation of something, especially a song, play, or piece of music. When your school choir performs “The Star-Spangled Banner,” that's their rendition of the national anthem. When a jazz musician plays “Happy Birthday” with new rhythms and unexpected notes, she's creating her own rendition of the familiar tune.

The word emphasizes that no two performances are exactly alike. Even when ten students read the same poem aloud, each creates a unique rendition through voice, pace, and expression. A movie might offer a modern rendition of a classic story, changing the setting from Victorian England to present-day New York while keeping the plot.

Rendition means putting your own stamp on something while performing it. When a rock band records their rendition of an old folk song, they bring their own style and energy to transform it. The word celebrates how artists make existing works their own, turning something familiar into something fresh. A powerful rendition can make you hear or see something in a completely new way.