What does duelling mean?
Duelling refers to the practice of two people fighting a prearranged, formally conducted combat, historically with swords or pistols under an agreed code of rules, in order to settle an affront to personal honour. Once regarded by European aristocracy as an almost sacred obligation of gentlemen, duelling flourished from roughly the Renaissance through the nineteenth century before being steadily criminalised across Europe and the Americas. Today the noun survives mainly as a historical term, while the verb 'duel', of which duelling is the present participle, thrives in figurative use: politicians, chess players, tennis rivals, and even companies may be described as duelling when locked in direct, head-to-head competition. The word carries connotations of ritualised conflict, pride, and formality, distinguishing it from ordinary brawling or war. Its enduring appeal lies in the image of two adversaries meeting alone, bound by honour, to resolve their dispute once and for all.
The practice or custom of fighting formal combats between two persons, especially to settle a matter of honour.
"The novel opens with a vivid account of duelling among Prussian officers."
Almost always used in reference to historical practice; modern usage tends toward the figurative verb.
Present participle of 'duel': to fight such a combat, or figuratively, to compete fiercely and directly against someone.
"The two fencers were duelling for the final spot on the national team."
The word 'duel' comes from a medieval Latin pun on 'bellum' (war) that made it look like it meant 'war of two'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of duelling
The word traces back through French 'duel' to medieval Latin 'duellum', a learned revival of an Old Latin word for war ('bellum') that was deliberately reshaped to suggest 'duo' (two), yielding the sense of a 'war of two'. English adopted the term in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century as duels themselves spread from the Italian Renaissance court culture. The spelling 'duelling' with a doubled L follows British conventions for forming the present participle; American English regularised it as 'dueling'. It shares the Latin root 'duo' with words like 'dual', 'duet', and 'duplicate'.
Related word forms
How duelling is actually used
In British English the spelling is 'duelling' with a double L; American English prefers 'dueling' with one. The noun sense is largely historical, referring chiefly to the practice common among European gentry between roughly the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries; the verb is now more often used figuratively for any intense two-sided competition.
Easily confused with duelling
'Dueling' is simply the standard American spelling of the same word, while 'duelling' with double L is the British spelling.