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

Coincidentally, the auction location is only about 200 miles north of the site where the nugget was originally discovered. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 May 2026

Funds raised at the Night of Too Many Stars’ auctions support initiatives that target work, home, and social well-being programs for autistic adults. —Charlie Vargas, Daily News, 8 May 2026

Verb

Wallis Simpson’s notably auctioned for almost $2 million in 1987. —Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026

Its flagship site went dark, and other sites, including Gizmodo, Deadspin and Jezebel, were auctioned off to the Spanish-language media company Univision. —Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

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