praestatio

Praestatio is a Latin term used in Roman law and in later civil-law sources to denote the performance or fulfillment of a duty or obligation. The word can refer to the act of rendering what is owed—such as the delivery of goods, the payment of money, or the provision of services—as well as to the obligation itself.

Etymology and sense. Praestatio comes from praestare, meaning to stand in front, to furnish, or to perform. In legal usage it marks the moment or act by which a debtor satisfies a promise or contract, and by which a creditor may demand fulfillment.

Roman-law usage. In classical and later Roman law, praestatio is central to the concept of obligatio. The debtor’s praestatio is the performance expected under an agreement, and the creditor’s right is to claim such performance. The scope of praestatio covers various modes of performance, including delivery of property, payment of a sum of money, or provision of services. If praestatio is not fulfilled, the creditor may seek remedies through remedies or actions for breach, depending on the form of the contract and the governing law.

Later legal tradition. The term continued to be used in medieval and early modern civil-law writings to describe the obligation to perform and the act of performing it. In contrast to other terms for discharge or payment, praestatio remains a broad, generic label for the obligation to render what has been promised in a contract or quasi-contract.

See also. In legal dictionaries and contract theory, praestatio is often treated as the foundational concept of performance within obligation, highlighting the link between promise, duty, and fulfillment. It remains a useful historical term for understanding the structure of contractual relationships in Roman and civil-law traditions.