# billed

/ˈbɪɫd/ (US) · /bˈɪld/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/billed
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. sent an invoice

verb · CEFR B1

sent a document asking for payment for work or goods.

For teachers: the past tense of 'bill', meaning to present a statement of charges for services rendered or goods supplied.

- The law firm billed the client for three hours of legal advice.
- The consultancy billed the corporation for the full amount of the project despite the significant delays in the final delivery phase.

Usage: Often used with 'for' to indicate the service or item being charged.

### 2. advertised or described

verb · CEFR B2

described or advertised someone as being a certain way.

For teachers: to have advertised or publicised someone or something in a particular way, often as a headline act.

- The movie was billed as the most exciting thriller of the year.
- The keynote speaker was billed as a visionary leader, though her presentation failed to offer any concrete solutions to the current crisis.

Usage: Commonly used in the passive voice followed by 'as'.

### 3. having a specific beak

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

having a certain type of beak or bill.

For teachers: possessing a beak of a specified shape, size, or colour; almost exclusively used in hyphenated compounds.

- The platypus is a strange, duck-billed animal from Australia.
- Ornithologists noted that the yellow-billed variety of the species was significantly more aggressive during the nesting season than its counterparts.

Usage: Usually appears as the second part of a compound adjective, such as 'short-billed' or 'orange-billed'.

## Examples

- The movie is billed as the biggest thriller of the year.
- The conference was billed as a major networking event, but most attendees found the schedule too crowded for conversation.
- Although the young athlete was billed as the next global superstar, the immense pressure of the media spotlight eventually hindered his performance on the field.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.