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View synonyms for auction

auction

[ awk-shuhn ]

noun

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

  1. to sell by auction (often followed by off ):

    He auctioned off his furniture.

auction

/ 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. troften foll byoff to sell by auction
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • auction·a·ble adjective
  • auction·ary adjective
  • pro·auction adjective
  • un·auctioned adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of auction1

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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of auction1

C16: from Latin auctiō an increasing, from augēre to increase
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Example Sentences

The Sandy Hook lawsuit drove Jones to bankruptcy, and a Houston judge ruled that Infowars and other assets owned by Jones could be auctioned off to pay off his creditors.

From Salon

The Georgian piece contains about 500 diamonds and was bought for almost double the amount estimated by Sotheby's auction house.

From BBC

Satirical news publication The Onion has bought Infowars, the media organisation headed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, for an undisclosed price at a court-ordered auction.

From BBC

Families are unlikely to ever recoup the entire $1.5 billion penalty, though the company is reportedly headed to auction.

From Salon

The auction house said the historic sale "launches a new frontier in the global art market, establishing the auction benchmark for an artwork by a humanoid robot".

From BBC

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