noun
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an order; command (often in the phrases do or follow the bidding of , at someone's bidding )
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an invitation; summons
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the act of making bids, as at an auction or in bridge
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bridge a group of bids considered collectively, esp those made on a particular deal
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bidding
Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at bid 1, -ing 1
Explanation
A person's bidding is what he or she tells you to do for them. You do your brother's bidding when he asks you to bring him his shoes and you comply. Doing your boss's bidding is usually part of a job description, although doing your cousin's or boyfriend's bidding usually isn't required — at least, it shouldn't be. When you are invited to eat at a friend's house, you might have to watch a slide show from his trip to Hawaii after dinner at his bidding. Bidding stems from the verb bid, with its Old English root of biddan, "ask, entreat, beseech, or order."
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.
See Examples For:
Ciscomani, bidding for a third term, has won two nail-biters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
The tank in your basement is now in a bidding war with a continent.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
By February, when it looked like Netflix had won a bidding war, it had shed nearly $200 billion in market value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The lease sales will cover approximately 31 million acres over two areas off the US Pacific archipelago, with bidding set for November 19.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
She told him her wrongs and as always he was ready to do her bidding.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
"Not only will we wipe out every potential influence on public biddings – we will also make the process much faster, much more efficient and totally accountable."
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025
In a 2013 email to dozens of senior staff at Siemens China, the manager, Cao Yong Sheng, pointed to a “huge gap between biddings and contracts,” and asked, “Where’s the gap going?”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2021
Peter reluctantly admitted that Mr. Lukach, when inclined, could use his prowess as a healer for darker biddings.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2017
This field of prowess has, it is said, undergone a prejudicial change in these days, the biddings being nearly all by dealers, while gentlemen-collectors are gradually moving out of the field.
From The Book-Hunter A New Edition, with a Memoir of the Author by John Hill Burton
"I'll tell you what it is," said Ratler, "we shall have Gresham and Monk together, and you and I shall have to do their biddings."
From Phineas Finn The Irish Member by Anthony Trollope
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