auction

American  

[awk-shuhn] / ˈɔk ʃən /

noun

1. Also called public sale.  a publicly held sale at which property or goods are sold to the highest bidder.

2. Cards.

   1. auction bridge.

   2. (in bridge or certain other games) the competitive bidding to fix a contract that a player or players undertake to fulfill.

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verb (used with object)

1. to sell by auction (often followed byoff ).

   He auctioned off his furniture.

auction British  

/ ˈɔːkʃən /

noun

1. a public sale of goods or property, esp one in which prospective purchasers bid against each other until the highest price is reached Compare Dutch auction

2. the competitive calls made in bridge and other games before play begins, undertaking to win a given number of tricks if a certain suit is trumps

3. See auction bridge

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verb

1. to sell by auction

Other Word Forms

• auctionable adjective
• auctionary adjective
• proauction adjective
• unauctioned adjective

Etymology

Origin of auction

1585–95; < Latin auctiōn- (stem of auctiō ) an increase, especially in the bidding at a sale, equivalent to auct ( us ) increased, past participle of augēre ( aug- increase + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

In an auction, items are sold without price tags — whoever bids the highest gets to buy it, whether it’s a painting, a car, or a set of old dishes. You can hold an auction, or auction something. You might have seen auction scenes in classy old movies where the characters bid on paintings by politely raising their hands as the auctioneer calls out a price. Auctions aren’t always high-fallutin’, though — many cities auction off cars they’ve confiscated from criminals.

Example Sentences

The auction comes as Southampton marks the 114th anniversary of the RMS Titanic tragedy at a memorial service on Wednesday.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The sale at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house will take place on Saturday.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The Dutch State Treasury Agency will auction 2 billion euros to 3 billion euros in 2.50% January 2031 DSL, while the German Finance Agency will offer 5 billion euros in the 2.50% April 2031 Bobl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

IMF staff members highlight rising debt-to-GDP levels, which have led to larger bond yield gyrations on auction days.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

I tell Mom about the auction, and the first thing she says is, “So they’re going to make money off your art? What do you get out of it?”

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

Related Words

• sell-off