Dutch auction
Preserved but no longer current.
An auction in which the auctioneer offers the goods at gradually decreasing prices, the first bidder to accept being the purchaser; the reverse process to that of an ordinary auction. Anyone can sell by Dutch auction, whereas an ordinary auction can be conducted only by a duly licensed auctioneer.
Đấu giá với giá giảm dần cho đến khi có người chấp nhận
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Dutch auction” mean?
An auction in which the auctioneer offers the goods at gradually decreasing prices, the first bidder to accept being the purchaser; the reverse process to that of an ordinary auction. Anyone can sell by Dutch auction, whereas an ordinary auction can be conducted only by a duly licensed auctioneer.
Is “Dutch auction” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.