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 an artistic performance, but that wasn’t always the case. Audition has roots in the Latin verb audīre meaning “to hear,” and was first used in the late 16th century to refer to the power or sense of hearing. Audīre is also the root of such hearing-related words in English as audible (“capable of being heard”), audience (which first meant “the act or state of hearing”), and the combining form audio-, which appears in various words relating to sound. It wasn’t until the 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
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
Tramell Tillman nearly missed the audition for Severance’s perma-smiling Mr. Milchick. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025 Someone like Stephen Moyer came in with an audition that just knocked our socks off. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
Kenan Thompson remembers constantly auditioning against another comedian for the same roles in the 1990s. Colson Thayer, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Although originally slated to audition for a different section of the film, Liotta was immediately drawn to the character when reading the script. Kristen Tauer, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for audition 

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 30 Jan. 2025.

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 Did you know?
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!