dual

1 of 2

adjective

du·​al ˈdü(-ə)l 

also ˈdyü-əl

1

of grammatical number : denoting reference to two

a dual pronoun

2

a

: consisting of two parts or elements or having two like parts : double

families with dual incomes

held dual citizenship in France and the U.S.

a dual function

a dual exhaust system

b

: having a double character or nature

dual

2 of 2

noun

1

linguistics : the dual (see dual entry 1 sense 1) number of a language

2

linguistics : a linguistic form in the dual

Synonyms of dual

Adjective

• twin
• binary
• double

Examples of dual in a Sentence

Adjective

the dual purpose of the study

She pursued dual careers in music and acting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Before his arrival, his partner filed two petitions in December 2009 under a dual-filing strategy, a fiancé petition and an alien relative petition, both of which were approved in April 2010, authorities said. —Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026

The two permanent exhibits have easy-to-understand, dual-language signage appropriate for both kids and adults and cover a range of topics from cellular biology to space exploration. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026

Noun

Iowa, which is 49-1 in duals in its three seasons, has three top seeds — Reese Laramendy (145), Kennedy Blades (160) and Kylie Welker (171). —John Bohnenkamp, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

The boys also won district and region titles and finished as the state runner-up in the duals state tournament in January. —Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin dualis, from duo two — more at two

First Known Use

Adjective

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dual

• dual carriageway
• dual citizenship
• dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
• dual meet
• dual-purpose

Rhymes for dual

• cruel
• duel
• fuel
• gruel
• jewel
• newel
• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual

Kids Definition

dual

adjective

du·​al

ˈd(y)ü-əl

1

: consisting of two parts or elements : having two parts alike

dual headphone jacks

2

: having a double character or nature

a dual function

dual citizenship

duality

d(y)ü-ˈal-ət-ē

noun

dually

ˈd(y)ü-ə-lē

adverb

Etymology

Adjective

from Latin dualis "dual," from duo "two" — related to deuce, double, dozen