auction

1 of 2

noun

auc·​tion ˈȯk-shən How to pronounce auction (audio)
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 How to pronounce auction (audio)

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The final bid of $28 million was the largest sum spent at an auction for a piece of entertainment memorabilia, the auction house said. Hank Sanders, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2024 It was offered at auction for the first time by Nasser’s grandson. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
The Wicked Witch’s Hat, part of Shaw’s collection, was also auctioned and sold for $2.93 million in a lengthy bidding war. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024 Most of these special sculptures will be auctioned online for charity and the proceeds will be donated to Ocean Park to support giant panda conversation efforts. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Asia, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auction 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of auction was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near auction

Cite this Entry

“Auction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auction. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

auction

1 of 2 noun
auc·​tion ˈȯk-shən How to pronounce auction (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce auction (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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