What does vendue mean?
Vendue is a formal noun for a public sale conducted by auction. It may refer either to the auction itself or to the sale and transaction, but its defining feature is that goods, property, or other items are offered to bidders rather than sold through an ordinary shop or private arrangement. In modern English, auction is overwhelmingly the common word; vendue survives in legal, historical, and trade contexts, and can sound old-fashioned, formal, or regional when encountered in accounts of estates, livestock sales, and business closures. A phrase such as "the estate was offered at a public vendue" makes the sense immediately clear. The word is also useful because it foregrounds the public and competitive character of the transaction. It entered English from French vente, meaning "sale," ultimately derived from Latin vendere, "to sell," the same broad commercial root found in vendor and vendible.
nounA public sale, especially of goods or property, conducted by auction.
- A public sale of goods, property, or other items by auction.
"The estate's contents were offered at a public vendue on Saturday."
"The estate's contents were offered at a public vendue on Saturday."
"Accounts of the nineteenth-century market describe a weekly vendue of livestock and farm equipment."
The plural vendues is grammatically standard but rare.
"Two vendues were scheduled for the following week."
Vendue entered English from French vente, meaning "sale"—a reminder that a long commercial tradition sits behind this now old-fashioned term.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vendue
The word comes through French vente, meaning "sale," from Latin vendere, "to sell." English use dates from the 17th century and originally referred to a sale conducted by public auction. Related English forms such as vendor, vendible, and vendition reflect the same commercial root.
Related word forms
How vendue is actually used
Vendue is now uncommon and generally sounds formal, historical, or regional. In modern English, auction is the usual word, though vendue remains especially associated with legal, commercial, and estate-sale contexts.
Easily confused with vendue
A vendor is a person who sells goods, whereas a vendue is the public sale or auction at which they are offered.