ENGLISH
REFERENCE

auction

n. · v.
US //ˈɑkʃən// UK //ˈɔːkʃən// auc·tion
  1. 1 public sale (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a public event where things are sold to the person who offers the highest price.

    a public sale of goods or property where prospective buyers make successive bids, with the item being sold to the highest bidder.

    Example

    The family decided to sell their old furniture at a local auction.

    Example

    The rare manuscript was sold at a prestigious London auction for three times its estimated value after a fierce bidding war between two collectors.
  2. 2 card games (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    the part of a card game where players bid to decide the rules for that round.

    the preliminary stage of a hand in games like bridge, during which players bid to determine the final contract and trump suit.

    Example

    During the auction, my partner signaled that she had a strong hand of hearts.

    Example

    The auction concluded with a bold four-spade bid, leaving the opposing pair to reconsider their defensive strategy for the opening lead.
  3. 3 to sell by bidding (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to sell something at an auction.

    to sell something by means of an auction; often used with 'off'.

    Example

    The city will auction the seized cars next Tuesday morning.

    Example

    The government plans to auction off the remaining spectrum rights to telecommunications companies to help fund the new infrastructure project.

    Usage

    Often used as the phrasal verb 'auction off'.
Origin

From Latin auctiō (“an increase, auction”), from augere (“to increase”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 19, 2026