Word
bidder
Phoneticsbid·der, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɪdɝ/
UK/bˈɪdɐ/
Definitions
01at an auction or sale
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who offers to pay a certain price for something being sold.
n. an individual or organization that offers a specific price for an item or service, particularly at an auction or during a competitive sale.
“The highest bidder won the painting for over one million dollars.”
“After a tense round of negotiations, the property was finally sold to a private bidder who remained anonymous throughout the process.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'the highest bidder'.
02business contracts
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Academic
n. a company that offers to do a job for a specific price.
n. a firm or contractor that submits a formal proposal to provide goods or services at a stated price.
“Several bidders are competing for the contract to build the new bridge.”
“The government agency invited three pre-qualified bidders to submit their final technical and financial proposals for the infrastructure project.”
Usage
Common in procurement and corporate law contexts.
Synonyms
03one who commands
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. someone who gives an order or command.
n. a person who issues a command, order, or instruction.
“The soldiers waited for the word of their bidder before moving forward.”
“In the old stories, the spirit was bound to follow the will of its bidder without question.”
Usage
Rare in modern speech; usually found in historical or poetic texts.
Real-World Examples
“The winning bidder will be announced early next year.” “Kulibayev paid £15m to ensure he was successful in buying the property as there was a competing bidder, his lawyers said.” “But perhaps more importantly, it helps the bidders to submit bids on a basis that allows them to be compared.” “The announcement of the preferred bidder’s identity at a packed meeting in Frome town hall was greeted with shouts of “who?”, “shame on you” and “stitch-up”.” Etymology
From Middle English bidder, biddere, equivalent to bid + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bidder, German Bitter.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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