Duel vs Dual
Duel and dual are two words that appear almost identical, but they have two very different meanings. A duel is a noun that refers to “a fight or contest with deadly weapons to settle a dispute.” Contrastingly, dual is an adjective that describes something “consisting of two parts or aspects.”
Here are some examples to help you understand the differences between each word.
Duel (noun)
A fight or contest with deadly weapons to settle a dispute.
Examples:
When I watch a Star Wars movie, I always look forward to the lightsaber duel the most.
It is hard to believe that people would settle debates over land with a duel to the death.
Remember that a duel is a noun. A lot of times, duels are set pieces in entertainment media, especially in movies and TV shows. If ever you need another way to differentiate duel from dual, think of the “e” in duel as representative of the word “entertainment,” as that is where you will find most modern duels.
Dual (adjective)
Consisting of two parts or aspects.
Examples:
I found out later that my ex-wife was actually living a dual life with another family.
Next semester, I will be teaching a dual-enrollment class that allows high school students to be enrolled in college courses.
Dual is an adjective that describes a noun with two components. If ever you need a way to remember it, just associate the “a” in dual with the word adjective.
Main Points
- Duel is a noun that describes a violent contest or battle.
- Dual is an adjective that describes something that consists of two parts.
- Remember that the two are very different words that operate as separate parts of speech. If you need to remember an easy way to differentiate the two, just remember that the “a” in dual stands for adjective.