auction

1 of 2

noun

auc·​tion ˈȯk-shən 

1

: a sale of property to the highest bidder

2

: the act or process of bidding in some card games

auction

2 of 2

verb

auctioned; auctioning ˈȯk-sh(ə-)niŋ 

transitive verb

: to sell at auction

auctioned off his library

Examples of auction in a Sentence

Noun

She bought the desk at an auction.

He made several bids at the auction.

Verb

They auctioned a similar desk last year.

The house was auctioned last week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The artist’s auction record was achieved in 2007 when Saint Rufina (ca. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Whatever proceeds Fairlane mall fetches at next month's auction/sale are to be deducted from the $35 million judgement against Kohan and the LLC. — Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

The identity of the party responsible for bring the work to auction is unknown. — News Desk, Artforum, 23 Sep. 2026

This fall, for the very first time, the parent company of the designer—who died in 2002 at the age of 79—is throwing open the Blass archives to auction a variety of designs, sketches, and mementos. — Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin auction-, auctio, from augēre to increase — more at eke entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1723, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing auction

• auction bridge
• auction house
• silent auction
• up for auction

Rhymes for auction

• concoction
• decoction

Kids Definition

auction

1 of 2 noun

auc·​tion ˈȯk-shən 

: a sale at which things are sold to those who offer to pay the most

auction

2 of 2 verb

auctioned; auctioning -sh(ə-)niŋ 

: to sell at auction

Etymology

Noun

from Latin auction-, auctio, from augēre "to increase" — related to augment

Legal Definition

auction

noun

auc·​tion

: a public sale of property to the highest bidder see also reserve