Prestation

Prestation is a noun used in French and Italian to denote an act of providing, a service, a performance, or a benefit delivered under a contract or by a public authority. In English, the term appears mainly in legal or administrative texts and is usually translated as service, provision, performance, or benefit depending on the context. The word derives from Latin praestatio, meaning a fulfillment of an obligation or an exhibit.

In French, prestation commonly means a service provided under a contract: les prestations de services; it can also denote a benefit in social security (prestation sociale) or a performance in the arts (prestation artistique). In public administration or welfare contexts, prestations can refer to payments or in-kind benefits owed to beneficiaries (prestations familiales, prestations sociales, etc.).

In Italian, prestazione likewise refers to service, performance, or duty. Common uses include prestazione sanitaria (healthcare service) and prestazione lavorativa (work performance). The term often appears in legal and administrative language to describe duties to be fulfilled or services to be provided.

Legal and economic senses: in civil law, the prestation is the obligation that a debtor owes the creditor—a service to be performed, a payment, or a thing delivered. The concept underpins phrases like obligation de prestation in French or prestazione di servizi in Italian contracts.

Usage considerations in English: while recognized in specialized texts, most readers prefer more common terms such as service, provision, delivery, performance, or benefit. In policy documents, prestation may indicate a welfare payment or service entitlement; in business language, it can describe the set of services offered.