noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:D UW1 AH0 L IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Duality; the condition of being double.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The view that the world consists of, or is explicable in terms of, two fundamental principles, such as mind and matter or good and evil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces, such as good and evil; the belief that man has two basic natures, the physical and the spiritual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: lifestyle, religion, theology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The legal doctrine that international law must be transposed into domestic law to have effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: international law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The theory, originated by Lavoisier and developed by Berzelius, that all definite compounds are binary in their nature, and consist of two distinct constituents, themselves simple or complex, and having opposite chemical or electrical affinities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
the doctrine that reality consists of two basic opposing elements, often taken to be mind and matter (or mind and body), or good and evil
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English dual Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English dualism From dual + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
French:
dualisme
— the condition of being double
French:
dualité
— the condition of being double
Indonesian:
dualisme
— the condition of being double
Kazakh:
дуализм
(dualizm)
— the condition of being double
Korean:
이중성
(ijungseong)
— the condition of being double
Occitan:
dualisme
— the condition of being double
Occitan:
dualitat
— the condition of being double
Polish:
dualizm
— the condition of being double
Serbo-Croatian:
dualizam
— the condition of being double
Spanish:
dualismo
— the condition of being double
Spanish:
dualidad
— the condition of being double
Arabic:
ثَنَوِيَّة
(ṯanawiyya)
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Azerbaijani:
dualizm
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Azerbaijani:
ikilik
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Catalan:
dualisme
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Chinese:
二元论
(èryuánlùn)
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Czech:
dualismus
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Dutch:
dualisme
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Esperanto:
dualismo
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
German:
Dualismus
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Hungarian:
dualizmus
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Korean:
이원론
(iwonnon)
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Malay:
dualisme
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Occitan:
dualisme
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Polish:
dualizm
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Serbo-Croatian:
dualizam
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Spanish:
dualismo
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Swedish:
dualism
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Telugu:
ద్వైతము
(dvaitamu)
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Thai:
ทวินิยม
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Turkish:
düalizm
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Turkish:
ikicilik
— the view that the world consists of two fundamental principles
Arabic:
ثَنَوِيَّة
(ṯanawiyya)
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Catalan:
dualisme
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Czech:
dualismus
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Esperanto:
dualismo
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
French:
dualisme
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Occitan:
dualisme
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Polish:
dualizm
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Serbo-Croatian:
dualizam
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces
Spanish:
dualismo
— the belief that the world is ruled by a pair of antagonistic forces