Performative verbs are those carried out simply by means of speaking words. For example, when a judge sentences someone to jail time, the action is completed when the judge says I hereby sentence you to five years in prison, or the like. Compare this with a sentence like I run every day, in which the verb "run" merely respresents the action of moving quickly.
Other examples are shown below:
We order the defendant to pay damages in the amount of $20,000.
I move for a mistrial.
I quit.
I resign.
You're fired.
Performatives can also occur in the passive, as in
Objection sustained.or
Objection overruled.