audition

noun au·di·tion \ ȯ-ˈdi-shən \

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of audition

1 : the power or sense of hearing

2 : the act of hearing; especially : a critical hearing

an audition of new recordings

3 : a trial performance to appraise an entertainer's merits

See audition defined for English-language learners

See audition defined for kids

audition was our Word of the Day on 12/20/2007. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of audition from the Web

Pearce cast the actress after a large search and was deeply struck by her audition.

— emily zemler, latimes.com, "Jessie Buckley makes a bold feature film debut in British thriller 'Beast'," 14 May 2018
So, from the beginning, Slack forwent whiteboard interviews in favor of a blind code review—modeled on the blind auditions that orchestras hold—in which candidates are given a problem to complete at home.

— jessica nordell, The Atlantic, "How Slack Got Ahead in Diversity," 26 Apr. 2018
The next round of auditions for the program will be held April 29 at Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold.

— Washington Post, "With academy program, symphony hopes to address diversity," 12 Apr. 2018
There are three rounds of auditions on Saturday, running until late in the evening.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Houston Texans cheerleader auditions are this weekend: What does it take to be a squad member?," 11 Apr. 2018
Mikal Bridges finished with 19 in what could be his final audition for the NBA.

— eddie pells, star-telegram, "Super sub, defense give Villanova rout of Michigan, NCAA title | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 2 Apr. 2018
That’s when her audition before the famous judges is set to air.

— jose lambiet, miamiherald, "Venezuelan refugee living in Sweetwater to sing on ‘American Idol’ | Miami Herald," 7 Mar. 2018
Actress Samia Shoaib, who first met Mack in New York City in 2013 at an audition, shared a similar story.

— chris harris, PEOPLE.com, "How Smallville's Allison Mack Allegedly Recruited Unwitting Women Into Sexual 'Pyramid Scheme'," 27 Apr. 2018
Résumés and [audition] tapes poured in during December and January.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "‘We pulled off everyday miracles’: Inside the birth of the Weather Channel," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'audition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Today, "audition" most often refers to a theatrical tryout, but that wasn't always the case. "Audition" is rooted in the Latin verb audire, meaning "to hear," and was first used in the late 16th century to refer to the power or sense of hearing. "Audire" is also the root of such "hearing" words in English as "audible," "audience" (which first meant "the act or state of hearing"), and the prefix audio-, which appears in various words relating to sound. It wasn't until late 19th century that the noun "audition" began being used for an entertainer's trial performance. And the verb audition, meaning "to test or try out in an audition," didn't appear on the English language stage until the mid-20th century.

Origin and Etymology of audition

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin audition-, auditio, from audire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

audition

verb

Definition of audition

auditioned; auditioning play \-ˈdi-sh(ə-)niŋ\

transitive verb

: to test or try out especially in an audition

intransitive verb

: to give a trial performance

See audition defined for English-language learners

Examples of audition in a Sentence

When he came in to audition, he was very charming.
They auditioned several girls for the role.
We will audition dancers today.

Recent Examples of audition from the Web

Any middle or high school student interested in auditioning for the Glenelg High School Color Guard may attend an upcoming clinic on May 13-17, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Interested? Questions?

— lisa peklo, Howard County Times, "There's a lot to 'baaa' about at sheep and wool festival[West Friendship]," 3 May 2018
Employees, especially those in the Overland Park headquarters campus, will need to use the regulatory review time essentially to audition for a post-merger job.

— mark davis and steve vockrodt, kansascity, "T-Mobile deal makes life at Sprint weird for customers, employees and investors | The Kansas City Star," 30 Apr. 2018
The couple decides to audition for their high school musical.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "Gary's West Side Theatre Guild stages 'High School Musical'," 25 Apr. 2018
The set-up features a casting session for the remake currently in progress when two actors are shown into the room to audition.

— allie gemmill, Teen Vogue, "“Kim Possible” Live-Action Cast Announced by Christy Carlson Romano and Will Friedle," 25 Apr. 2018
Others who are expected to audition include Elika Sadeghi, MJ Acosta, Chantel McCabe, and Danielle Trotta.

— chad finn, BostonGlobe.com, "The Athletic sports website is filling out its Boston roster," 29 Mar. 2018
Metz also tried to break into the biz by auditioning for American Idol in 2007.

— erin jensen, USA TODAY, "Abuse, divorce: We were shocked by these five things in Chrissy Metz's book, 'This Is Me'," 27 Mar. 2018
Jackson had no interest in auditioning to be an NFL wideout, and there is plenty of interest in him as a quarterback.

— mark maske, chicagotribune.com, "Will the 2018 quarterback draft class be memorably great or memorably disappointing?," 22 Apr. 2018
Any middle or high school student interested in auditioning for the color guard may attend an upcoming clinic on May 13-17, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Interested? Questions?

— lisa peklo, Howard County Times, "Glenelg's color guard performance inspired by new day [West Friendship]," 19 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of audition

1931

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

AUDITION Defined for English Language Learners

audition

noun

Definition of audition for English Language Learners

: a short performance to show the talents of someone (such as an actor or a musician) who is being considered for a role in a play, a position in an orchestra, etc.

audition

verb

Definition of audition for English Language Learners

of a performer : to try out for a role in a play or film, a position in an orchestra, etc. : to perform in an audition
: to test (someone) in an audition