Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of auction
"The charity sold all its old furniture at two separate auctions last weekend."
In plain English: An auction is an event where people bid against each other to buy something for the highest price.
"The charity sold off old books at auctions to raise money for the new school."
Usage: Auctions are public sales where items are sold to the highest bidder, often used in contexts like estate liquidation or art galleries. You use this word when referring to multiple events where prices are determined by competitive bidding rather than fixed listing costs.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of auction
"The gallery owner auctions rare prints every Tuesday to fund their next exhibition."
In plain English: To auction something means to sell it by letting people bid against each other until someone offers the highest price.
"The collector decided to auctions off his entire stamp collection at a local event."
Usage: Use auctions to describe a situation where an item is sold to the highest bidder in a formal setting. This verb form typically appears when discussing third-person subjects, such as "He auctions rare coins every month."
Derived from Latin auctio, this term originally meant an increase, specifically referring to the raising of prices during a sale by competitive bidding. It entered English in the late 16th century via Old French aucion.