auctioneer
n. countablen. the person in charge of a public sale where items are sold to the person who offers the most money. They call out the prices and decide when an item is sold.
n. a person who conducts a public sale by calling out bids and declaring items sold to the highest bidder.
The auctioneer speaks very quickly during the sale.
The auctioneer brought down the gavel and shouted 'Sold!' to the woman in the front row.
A skilled auctioneer must maintain a rapid pace to build excitement among bidders while simultaneously tracking every subtle gesture in the room to ensure no offer is missed.
From auction + -eer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically refers to the professional individual facilitating the event.
- Nounauction
- Nounauctioneer
Last updated May 8, 2026