ersteigert

Ersteigert is the past participle form of the German verb ersteigern, which means to acquire something at an auction by bidding. In everyday usage it denotes that a bidder has won an item by offering the highest price under the terms of the auction. The construction with haben is used to form the perfect tense, as in Sie hat das Gemälde ersteigert.

Etymology and usage: ersteigern combines the prefix er- with steigern (to increase), in a sense specific to auctions: by bidding up the price, a bidder can secure ownership. The act itself is called die Ersteigerung, and the bidder is der Ersteigerer (die Ersteigerin for a female bidder). The verb is used in various tenses: ich ersteigere, du ersteigerst, er ersteigert; in the simple past: ich ersteigerte; perfect: ich habe ersteigert; future: ich werde ersteigern.

Context and related terms: Ersteigern contrasts with versteigern, which means to put an item up for auction (the seller’s action). In auction contexts, Ersteigerung is the formal process by which ownership transfers after an accepted bid and payment, subject to the auction’s terms and applicable law. The outcome is a binding sale once the bidder fulfills payment and delivery obligations. The term is common in art, antiques, real estate, and any situation involving formal public bidding.

See also: versteigern, Versteigerung, Ersteigerer/Ersteigerin, Ersteigerung.