What does auditioning mean?
'Auditioning' is the present participle of the verb 'audition', describing the process of taking part in, or conducting, a trial performance to judge someone's suitability for a role in theatre, film, television, music, or dance. It can be used intransitively, as when an actor is 'auditioning for a part', or transitively, as when a director is 'auditioning applicants'. The word derives from the Latin 'audire', meaning 'to hear', reflecting the original sense of a hearing at which candidates were listened to and assessed. Today auditioning is strongly associated with the competitive world of the performing arts, and the word often carries connotations of anxiety, hope, and scrutiny. Beyond the stage, it is occasionally extended metaphorically to any situation in which someone must prove themselves under evaluation.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'audition')The act of performing or being evaluated in an audition — a trial performance by which a candidate for a role in a play, film, orchestra, choir, or similar is judged on their suitability.
- Taking part in an audition: performing before judges to be assessed for a role or place.
- Conducting auditions: evaluating performers by hearing them try out (e.g. a director auditioning actors).
"She spent the summer auditioning for musicals across London's West End."
"Hundreds of hopeful dancers spent Saturday auditioning for the touring company."
"The casting director will be auditioning children aged eight to twelve next week."
Every star who ever 'got discovered' first had to endure the nerve-wracking ritual of auditioning — even Meryl Streep was once rejected at one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of auditioning
'Auditioning' comes from the verb 'audition', which entered English from French 'audition', ultimately from Latin 'auditio' meaning 'a hearing', formed on 'audire' ('to hear'). Originally the word denoted the act or power of hearing; by the late 19th century it had developed its modern theatrical sense of a trial performance at which a candidate is heard and judged. It shares its Latin root with 'audience', 'audible', and 'auditorium'.
Related word forms
How auditioning is actually used
Neutral to professional register, used chiefly in theatre, film, television, music, and dance circles. The verb works both intransitively ('she is auditioning') and transitively ('the panel is auditioning singers'). In everyday speech it carries connotations of competition and nervousness.
Easily confused with auditioning
'Addition' means the act of adding something, while 'auditioning' refers to trying out or evaluating candidates for a performance role; they sound similar but are unrelated in meaning.