What does auditioned mean?
"Auditioned" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "audition," which describes taking part in a trial performance to demonstrate one's suitability for a role — whether on stage, on screen, in an orchestra, or elsewhere in the performing arts. It can also work in the opposite direction: a director or panel that auditioned performers assessed them by hearing them perform. The word carries connotations of aspiration and evaluation, often implying competition, since many candidates may vie for a single place. Its roots lie in the Latin verb "audire," meaning "to hear," which makes an audition, quite literally, a hearing — a fact that gives the word a pleasing logic. Common collocations include "auditioned for the role" and "successfully auditioned." The term is standard in both British and American English and is essentially confined to artistic and performance contexts.
verbPast tense and past participle of "audition": to take part in a trial performance to assess suitability for a role, or (transitively) to assess a performer by means of such a trial.
- To have taken part in a trial performance to be considered for a role in a play, film, orchestra, or similar.
- (Of an assessor) To have evaluated a performer by means of such a trial.
"She auditioned for the lead role in the school production of Hamlet."
"Hundreds of hopefuls auditioned for a single place in the ballet company."
"The panel auditioned more than fifty singers before making their final choice."
The word "audition" literally means "a hearing" — so every actor who ever auditioned was, etymologically speaking, asking to be listened to.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of auditioned
"Audition" derives from the Latin "auditio," meaning "a hearing," formed from "audire," "to hear." The word entered English in the late 16th or early 17th century, originally denoting the sense or power of hearing, before acquiring its theatrical sense of a trial performance in the 19th century. It shares its root with words such as "audible," "audience," "auditorium," and "audio."
Related word forms
How auditioned is actually used
Used almost exclusively in the context of performing arts, music, and casting; when used transitively, the subject is typically the panel, director, or organization doing the assessing.
Easily confused with auditioned
"Addition" refers to the act of adding something or a mathematical operation, while "auditioned" relates only to trial performances or assessments of performers.