duplex

n. countable

B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈduˌpɫɛks// UK //djˈuːplɛks// du·plex

n. a building that is divided into two separate homes. Each home has its own entrance, but they share a common wall.

n. a residential building divided into two separate apartments or living units. In North American English, it typically refers to a single structure containing two dwellings, either side-by-side or on different floors.

SIMPLE

They live in one half of a duplex near the park.

CONTEXTUAL

The developer plans to build a duplex on the empty lot to provide housing for two families.

COMPLEX

While a detached house offers more privacy, purchasing a duplex can be a strategic investment if the owner chooses to live in one unit while renting out the other.

Origin

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.

Usage

In British English, the term more commonly refers to an apartment with rooms on two floors.