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)

auctions, present (3rd person singular) auctioned, past participle, past auctioning present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have auctioned
  perfect
• has auctioned
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been auctioning
  perfect progressive
• is auctioning
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been auctioning
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are auctioning
  progressive
• auctions
  singular 3rd person
• am auctioning
  progressive 1st person singular
• auctioning
  participle

Past

• had auctioned
  perfect
• was auctioning
  progressive singular
• auctioned
  participle
• were auctioning
  progressive plural
• auctioned
  simple
• had been auctioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will auction
  simple
• will have auctioned
  perfect
• will have been auctioning
  perfect progressive
• will be auctioning
  progressive

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 most expensive tickets of the night surely went to two individuals who won an auction through MSG’s Garden of Dreams Foundation for a total of $1 million.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Between 2016 and 2025, roughly 2,400 vehicles were sold at various global auctions for $1 million or more, according to data from Hagerty, a Michigan-based auction house and classic-car insurer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

In 2010, a clone of his champion mare Cuartetera sold at auction for $800,000, an eye-popping sum for a polo pony at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Discovery shareholders in April approved the sale of the company to Paramount after Netflix dropped out of the auction.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Since artifacts were so rare, it was always big news when one went up for auction.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• sell-off