audition

1 of 2

noun

au·​di·​tion ȯ-ˈdi-shən How to pronounce audition (audio)
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

audition

2 of 2

verb

auditioned; auditioning ȯ-ˈdi-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce audition (audio)

transitive verb

: to test or try out especially in an audition

intransitive verb

: to give a trial performance

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.

Examples of audition in a Sentence

Verb When he came in to audition, he was very charming. They auditioned several girls for the role. We will audition dancers today.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even James Van Der Beek isn't immune to an awkward audition story. Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 During her audition for Karen, the entire room could not deny the role was made for her. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 While on Nickelodeon, Drake & Josh star Drake Bell developed a close relationship with Peck: Bell celebrated his 15th birthday at the coach’s Los Angeles home and often spent the night after auditions. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 Bell would often spend the night at Peck’s house in between auditions and other work obligations. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Before the pandemic, most auditions were in person, but now self-tapes or Zoom sessions are the norm. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Her audition could have been the take that was in the movie. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 With Doom’s help filming and editing an audition tape, Glitter is accepted to the exclusive French program and with Glitter’s help, Doom gets a recording session with famous producer The Doctor (played by one half of the real Indigo Girls duo, Amy Ray). Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The multiple-day audition process starts with an across-the-floor technique evaluation as the Trojan Dance Force incorporates numerous dance styles including hip-hop, jazz and cheer. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
That’s the craziest part [of] auditioning for a role. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Annika has performed in many shows at the high school and also auditioned for and got a role in a community theatre production in San Juan Capistrano. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 New punter, kicker SDSU will be auditioning new punters and kickers with the departure of Jack Browning, the Mountain West’s 2022 Special Teams Player of the Year. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 At the height of his career, in the mid-2010s, directors made trips to Rikers Island to visit and audition Mr. Duress. Alex Traub, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 During his appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show Friday (March 8), Offset recalled impressing the music icon with his slick moves when auditioning for a dancer role as an 8-year-old circa 2000. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 During a recent visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, one of the 2006 movie's stars, Kate Winslet, recalled both the host, Jimmy Fallon, and Robert Downey Jr. auditioning for the comedy classic. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 The actress was asked about her experience auditioning for the role of everyone’s favorite ESPN-using mouse Karen Smith in the 2004 comedy while visiting Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday. EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 It’s also suddenly decided that Lucy should audition for the record company—not Mimi—despite this whole idea being Mimi’s dream. Emma Specter, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'audition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin audītiōn-, audītiō "act of hearing, report, rumor," from audīre "to hear" + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at audible entry 1

Verb

derivative of audition entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1931, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of audition was in 1599

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near audition

Cite this Entry

“Audition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audition. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

audition

1 of 2 noun
au·​di·​tion ȯ-ˈdish-ən How to pronounce audition (audio)
1
: the power or sense of hearing
2
: a short performance to test the talents of a musician, singer, dancer, or actor

audition

2 of 2 verb
auditioned; auditioning
-ˈdish-(ə-)niŋ
: to test or try out in an audition

Medical Definition

audition

noun
au·​di·​tion ȯ-ˈdish-ən How to pronounce audition (audio)
1
: the power or sense of hearing
2
: the act of hearing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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