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Today, "audition" most often refers to a theatrical tryout, but that wasn't always the case. "Audition" is rooted in the Latin verb audire, meaning "to hear," and was first used in the late 16th century to refer to the power or sense of hearing. "Audire" is also the root of such "hearing" words in English as "audible," "audience" (which first meant "the act or state of hearing"), and the prefix audio-, which appears in various words relating to sound. It wasn't until late 19th century that the noun "audition" began being used for an entertainer's trial performance. And the verb audition, meaning "to test or try out in an audition," didn't appear on the English language stage until the mid-20th century.
Examples of audition in a Sentence
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
Naomi Watts is recalling a particularly awkward audition experience.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
Republicans are lining up behind Trump, from the speaker of the House to the cadre of Trump allies auditioning to be his vice presidential running mate.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for audition 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'audition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near audition
Cite this Entry
“Audition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audition. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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audition
1 of 2 noun
audition
2 of 2 verbMedical Definition
audition
noun
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