no-bid
UK[ˈnəʊ bɪd]US[ˈnoʊ bɪd]
adj
Relating to or being a contract awarded without competitive bids, often to a single, pre-selected company.
n
A contract awarded without competitive bidding.
Morpheme Breakdown
no
bid
no
negation
bid
offer
Etymology
The term 'no-bid' is a modern English compound formed by combining the common negative adverb 'no' with the noun 'bid'. The word 'bid' itself has a long history, originating from the Old English 'biddan', meaning to ask or entreat, which evolved through Middle English to acquire the specific commercial sense of an offer to buy at a set price, especially at an auction. The compound 'no-bid' logically and transparently describes a situation where this standard commercial process of soliciting offers is absent. It is a straightforward, descriptive term from the 20th century, primarily used in the context of government and corporate contracting to denote agreements made without open competition.
Analysis
Structure: no (negation) + bid (offer)
no: From Old English 'nā', a compound of 'ne' (not) and 'ā' (ever). It functions as a negative particle.
bid: From Old English 'biddan' (to ask, entreat, offer). In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning 'an offer to pay a specified price'.
Examples
The agency faced criticism for awarding a series of lucrative no-bid contracts.
The new policy aims to reduce the number of no-bid deals and increase transparency.
Several companies protested the no-bid, claiming the process was unfair.