bill
B1Formal and informal, across all contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A written statement of money owed for goods or services provided.
A piece of paper money; a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament; the beak of a bird; a theatrical poster or program; to charge for services; a list of items (e.g., menu, programme).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Polysemous word with distinct yet historically related meanings. The 'invoice' and 'paper money' senses are primarily financial. The 'legal/proposed law' sense is political. The 'beak' sense is zoological.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In BrE, 'bill' commonly refers to a restaurant invoice ('Can I have the bill, please?'). In AmE, this is more often called a 'check'. In AmE, 'bill' is the standard term for paper money (a five-dollar bill). In BrE, this is a 'note' (a five-pound note). The 'proposed law' sense is identical.
Connotations
In legal/political contexts, connotations are neutral. In financial contexts (invoice), connotations can be slightly negative (obligation to pay).
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties, but the specific referent (invoice vs. money) shifts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
bill somebody for somethingbill something to somebodybill somebody as somethingthe bill for somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “foot the bill”
- “fit the bill”
- “a clean bill of health”
- “sell someone a bill of goods”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Invoice for services, corporate charge.
Academic
Legislative process (parliamentary bill), ornithology (beak).
Everyday
Restaurant invoice, utility payment, paper money.
Technical
Bill of materials (engineering), bill of lading (shipping), bill of exchange (finance).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The garage will bill you for the repairs next week.
- He was billed as the next great actor.
American English
- The law firm billed the client for 50 hours of work.
- The concert billed three major rock bands.
adverb
British English
- N/A (no standard adverbial use for 'bill').
American English
- N/A (no standard adverbial use for 'bill').
adjective
British English
- N/A (no standard adjectival use for 'bill').
American English
- N/A (no standard adjectival use for 'bill').
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Here is the bill for your dinner.
- I have a five-dollar bill.
- The electricity bill was higher than usual this month.
- Parliament is debating a new education bill.
- The consultant billed the company an exorbitant fee for his services.
- The bird used its sharp bill to crack open the seed.
- The controversial bill was filibustered and failed to reach a vote.
- The exhibition bills itself as a groundbreaking survey of contemporary art.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a DUCK'S BILL. It's shaped like a folded piece of PAPER MONEY. The duck gets a huge restaurant BILL and pays with that money.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT (the bill records the transaction); TIME/OBLIGATION IS MONEY ('paying the bills').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'bill' as 'счёт' (bank account) in all contexts. For 'bill of rights' use 'билль о правах' or 'хартия'. For 'bird's bill' use 'клюв'. For 'billboard' use 'рекламный щит'.
- The Russian word 'билл' is a direct loan for the legislative sense.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'bill' for a bank account number (use 'account').
- Confusing 'bill' (invoice) with 'check' (AmE) in restaurant contexts.
- Saying 'a bill of 10$' instead of 'a 10-dollar bill'.
Practice
Quiz
In American English, what is the most common synonym for the 'bill' you receive in a restaurant?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are often synonyms, but 'invoice' is more formal and used in business-to-business transactions. 'Bill' is more common for everyday consumer charges (utilities, restaurants).
Rarely for standard currency. A 'five-pound bill' would sound odd; 'five-pound note' is standard. However, special issues like 'a tenner' (informal) are still notes.
Yes. It means 1) to send an invoice to someone ('They billed us for the delivery'), or 2) to advertise or describe someone in a particular way ('He was billed as the main attraction').
It is an idiom meaning to be suitable or qualified for a particular role or purpose. ('We needed a tall player, and she fit the bill perfectly.')