Definition of bill noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bill

noun

/bɪl/

Idioms

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for payment

a document that shows how much you owe somebody for goods or services

the electricity/gas/repair bill
He is facing a huge tax bill.
She always pays her bills on time.
We ran up a massive hotel bill.
bill for something I’ll be sending you the bill for the dry-cleaning!
The bills are piling up (= there are more and more that have still not been paid).

Collocations FinanceFinanceIncome

earn money/cash/(informal) a fortune/the minimum wage/a living wage
make money/a fortune/(informal) a killing on the stock market
acquire/inherit/amass wealth/a fortune
build up funds/savings
get/receive/leave (somebody) an inheritance/a legacy
live on a low wage/a fixed income/a pension
get/receive/draw/collect a pension
depend/be dependent on (British English) benefits/(North American English) welfare/social security

Expenditure

spend money/your savings/(informal) a fortune on…
invest/put your savings in…
throw away/waste/ (informal) shell out money on…
lose your money/inheritance/pension
use up/ (informal) wipe out all your savings
pay (in) cash
use/pay by a credit/debit/contactless card
pay by/make out a/write somebody a/accept a (British English) cheque/(US English) check
change/exchange money/currency
give/pay/leave (somebody) a deposit

Banks

have/hold/open/close/freeze a bank account/an account
credit/debit/pay something into/take money out of your account
deposit money/funds in your account
withdraw money/cash/£30 from an ATM, etc.
(formal) make a deposit/withdrawal
find/go to/use (especially North American English) an ATM/(British English) a cash machine/dispenser
be in credit/in debit/in the black/in the red/overdrawn
use a mobile/an online banking app/platform/service

Personal finance

manage/handle/plan/run/ (especially British English) sort out your finances
plan/manage/work out/stick to a budget
offer/extend credit (to somebody)
arrange/take out a loan/an overdraft
pay back/repay money/a loan/a debt
pay for something in (especially British English) instalments/(North American English usually) installments

Financial difficulties

get into debt/financial difficulties
be short of/ (informal) be strapped for cash
run out of/owe money
face/get/ (informal) be landed with a bill for £…
can’t afford the cost of…/payments/rent
fall behind with/ (especially North American English) fall behind on the mortgage/repayments/rent
incur/run up/accumulate debts
tackle/reduce/settle your debts

Extra Examples

Don't worry—the company will pick up the bill (= pay).
I've just got a huge tax bill.
Many people struggle to pay their rent and utility bills.
The company could now face higher fuel bills.
They presented us with a very large bill.
Use the money in the account to cover the bills.

Topics Shoppinga1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

big
hefty
high
…

verb + bill

get
receive
be landed with
…

bill + verb

arrive
come in
amount to
…

bill + noun

payment
collector

preposition

bill for

See full entry

(especially British English)

(North American English usually check)

a piece of paper that shows how much you have to pay for the food and drinks that you have had in a restaurant

Let's ask for the bill.
Could we have the bill, please?

Synonyms billbillaccount ▪ invoice ▪ checkThese are all words for a record of how much you owe for goods or services you have bought or used.bill a list of goods that you have bought or services that you have used, showing how much you owe; the price or cost of something:

the gas bill

account an arrangement with a shop or business to pay bills for goods or services at a later time, for example in regular amounts every month:

Put it on my account please.

invoice (rather formal) a bill for goods that somebody has bought or work that has been done for somebody:

The builders sent an invoice for £250.

bill or invoice?You would get a bill in a restaurant, bar or hotel; from a company that supplies you with gas, electricity, etc.; or from somebody whose property you have damaged. An invoice is for goods supplied or work done as agreed between a customer and supplier.check (North American English) a piece of paper that shows how much you have to pay for the food and drinks that you have had in a restaurant:

Can I have the check, please?

In British English the usual word for this is bill.Patterns

the bill/invoice/check for something
to pay/settle a(n) bill/account/invoice/check
to put something on the/somebody’s bill/account/invoice/check

Extra Examples

Are the coffees on the bill?
Could I have the bill please?
The bill came to £120.
We decided to split the bill (= share the cost of the meal).
The waiter brought the bill to their table.

Topics Shoppinga1, Cooking and eatinga1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + bill

ask for
bring
get
…

bill + verb

arrive
come
come to
…

See full entry

money

enlarge image

(North American English)

(British English note)

(also banknote especially in British English)

a piece of paper money

a ten-dollar bill

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

five-dollar
twenty-dollar
etc.
…

verb + bill

count
count out

See full entry

in parliament

a written suggestion for a new law that is presented to a country’s parliament so that its members can discuss it

to introduce/approve/oppose a bill
Congress passed the energy bill last month.
Republicans said they would support the bill.
the Education Reform Bill

Wordfinder

CultureIn Britain a bill must be discussed in the House of Commons and the House of Lords before it can become a law. In the US it must be discussed either in the House of Representatives or the senate. If enough people vote for it there, it is discussed in the other house of Congress, and if it is passed it goes to the President, who decides whether or not it should become a law.see also Act of Parliament

Extra Examples

The bill will be brought before Parliament next year.
Republicans will try to push the bill through Congress.
The bill was brought to the floor of the House last summer.
The bill became law in June.
The government has put forward an emergency bill to limit the powers of the police.

Topics Law and justiceb2, Politicsb2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective