What does "duplex" mean?
A house made up of two dwelling units.
Duplex
/ˈdu.plɛks/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A house made up of two dwelling units.
- Grammar: duplex is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ambidextrous, apartment house, bidirectional channel, bifacial.
- Useful contrasts: mono, monolayered, one-way channel.
- Usage evidence: The two-story duplex exploded due to flood water.
How to use "duplex"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "duplex" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "duplex" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "duplex" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "duplex" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "duplex" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ambidextrous" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "duplex", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A house made up of two dwelling units. Australia, Canada, US
"The house had been renovated into a duplex and he’d put in a phone line."
- 2 an apartment having rooms on two floors that are connected by a staircase wordnet
- 3 A dwelling unit with two floors. US
- 4 a house with two units sharing a common wall wordnet
- 5 A cancellation combining a numerical cancellation with a second mark showing time, date, and place of posting.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A throwing motion where two balls are thrown with one hand at the same time.
- 7 A double-stranded polynucleotide.
- 8 A system of multiple thrust faults bounded above and below by a roof thrust and floor thrust.
"In contrast, the folds in the overlying lithotectonic unit 4 are larger and are cut by a series of faults in a duplex."
Verb
- 1 To make duplex.
- 2 change into a duplex wordnet
- 3 To make into a duplex.
- 4 To make a series of duplex throws.
Adjective
- 1 Double; made up of two parts.; Having two floors. not-comparable
- 2 Double; made up of two parts.; Having two units, divisions, suites, or apartments. not-comparable
- 3 Double; made up of two parts.; Of stainless steel: having a structure containing austenite and ferrite in roughly equal proportions. not-comparable
"Duplex stainless steels have been classified according to the first period (1930–1960) and second period (1960–1990). The designations for these duplex alloys in the United States have been primarily according to Unified Numbering System (UNS) numbers in the S3xxx.x series."
- 4 Bidirectional (in two directions). not-comparable
"duplex telegraphy"
- 5 Having horizons with contrasting textures. not-comparable
"Soils are duplex, sandy and solodic. The dominant trees are the stringybark eucalypts […]"
Adjective
- 1 allowing communication in opposite directions simultaneously wordnet
- 2 (used technically of a device or process) having two parts wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The two-story duplex exploded due to flood water."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "duplex"?
Common synonyms include: ambidextrous, apartment house, bidirectional channel, bifacial, bifold, biform.
How do you use "duplex" in a sentence?
The two-story duplex exploded due to flood water.
How do you pronounce "duplex"?
Pronounced /ˈdu.plɛks/.
Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ Borrowed from Latin duplex (“double, two-fold”), from duo (“two”) + plico (“fold together”); compare the roots of διπλόος (diplóos, “double”); compare also πλέκω (plékō, “twist, braid”). By surface analysis, duo- + -plex.