What does duel mean?
A duel is a formal, prearranged fight between two people, conducted with matched weapons according to agreed rules, traditionally undertaken to settle an insult or defend one's honour. Duelling flourished among European and American gentlemen from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, typically fought with pistols or swords at dawn in secluded places, and it gradually declined as laws and social attitudes turned against it. Today the word most often appears in historical contexts, but it also thrives figuratively: any closely contested struggle between two individuals or sides can be described as a duel, whether a tennis final, a political standoff, or a chess match. The word derives from Latin 'duellum', an old form of 'bellum' meaning war. Its derivatives include duelist, duelling, and dueller, and it should not be confused with 'dual', which means twofold.
A prearranged formal combat between two people using matched weapons, governed by fixed rules, traditionally fought to settle a point of honour.
"The two officers met at dawn to fight a duel over an insult exchanged at dinner."
Often extended figuratively to any head-to-head contest: 'a duel of wits', 'a duel between the two finalists'.
To engage in a formal combat between two people, or figuratively, to contend closely against an opponent.
"The two fencers duelled for nearly ten minutes before a point was scored."
Standard English plural, used both for literal combats and figurative contests.
"The archive preserves detailed accounts of dozens of duels fought in the city during the 1800s."
The word 'duel' comes from Latin 'duellum', an ancient poetic form of 'bellum' — war itself — shrunk down to a fight between just two people.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of duel
The word 'duel' entered English in the late sixteenth century, borrowed from medieval Latin 'duellum'. Intriguingly, 'duellum' was originally an archaic Latin poetic form of 'bellum', meaning war, and its similarity to Latin 'duo' (two) led medieval writers to reinterpret it as meaning a combat between two people — an etymology now embedded in the word's sense. It shares this root with related terms built on the idea of twoness, such as 'dual', 'duet', and 'duo', though these derive more directly from 'duo' than from 'duellum' proper.
Related word forms
How duel is actually used
Historical duelling was a practice largely confined to European and American gentry from roughly the 16th to the 19th century and is now illegal in most countries. The figurative use — as in 'the debate became a duel between two rival visions' — carries connotations of drama, formality, and evenly matched opposition. The verb takes standard inflections; British spelling doubles the 'l' (duelled, duelling) while American spelling does not (dueled, dueling).
Easily confused with duel
'Dual' is an adjective meaning having two parts or aspects, while 'duel' is a noun or verb referring to a fight between two people.