Bidder Meaning

/ˈbɪd.ə/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

nounSomeone who bids (all senses), but most commonly, one offers to pay a specified price at an auction.

nounOne who commands or orders.

Who's the highest bidder?
The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The highest ____ won the painting at the auction.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The highest ____ won the antique vase after a long and hard contest.

From Middle English bidder, biddere, equivalent to bid + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bidder, German Bitter.

"But that is changing; in the coming months, Mr. Gollinger said, his company will hold an auction in a suburban New York community where lenders will help preapprove bidders for mortgages." — 2008 September 14, Bob Tedeschi, “It’s Helpful to Know Your Limits”, in The New York Times:
"In 2004, the authority declared Abec a nonresponsible bidder after the company failed to submit accurate information." — 2009 June 25, Simon Akam, “Distributor Guilty of Selling Counterfeit Parts to the M.T.A.”, in The New York Times:
"In other words, the transaction is preferred because it is the best of bad choices. And at least one study has found that when management preannounces a deal it results in lower premiums presumably because it scares off other bidders." — 2013 February 5, Steven Davidoff Solomon, “Reasons to Be Suspicious of Buyouts Led by Management”, in The New York Times:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The highest ____ won the painting at the auction.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The highest ____ won the antique vase after a long and hard contest.

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