auction
Americannoun
-
Also called public sale. a publicly held sale at which property or goods are sold to the highest bidder.
-
Cards.
-
(in bridge or certain other games) the competitive bidding to fix a contract that a player or players undertake to fulfill.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
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
-
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
-
See auction bridge
verb
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
France’s upcoming 10.5 billion-12.5 billion euros auction of long-dated government bonds likely exacerbated selling in French bonds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
Allowances are sold at auction and can also be traded among polluters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Bonds are reflecting investors’ concerns, most recently with the tepid investor response last week to a $69 billion auction of 2-year Treasuries.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
In January, RR Auction held an auction to celebrate the anniversary that included rare items such as Jobs’ bedroom desk and bow ties.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
According to its auction listing, the Cataclyst was a sort of magical bomb, and it could be used only once.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
