duty
something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
the binding or obligatory force of something that is morally or legally right; moral or legal obligation.
an action or task required by a person's position or occupation; function: the duties of a clergyman.
the respectful and obedient conduct due a parent, superior, elder, etc.
an act or expression of respect.
a task or chore that a person is expected to perform: It's your duty to do the dishes.
Military.
an assigned task, occupation, or place of service: He was on radar duty for two years.
the military service required of a citizen by a country: After graduation, he began his duty.
Commerce. a specific or ad valorem tax imposed by law on the import or export of goods.
a payment, service, etc., imposed and enforceable by law or custom.
Chiefly British. tax: income duty.
Machinery.
the amount of work done by an engine per unit amount of fuel consumed.
the measure of effectiveness of any machine.
Agriculture. the amount of water necessary to provide for the crop in a given area.
Baby Talk. bowel movement.
Idioms about duty
do duty, to serve the same function; substitute for: bookcases that do duty as room dividers.
off duty, not at one's post or work; at liberty: They spent their days off duty in hiking and fishing.
Origin of duty
1synonym study For duty
Other words for duty
1 | commitment, responsibility, obligation; burden, charge, devoir |
3 | concern, place, role |
6 | assignment, chore, job, task |
10 | assessment, impost, levy, tariff, toll, tithe |
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use duty in a sentence
Employers—both women and men—think mothers are distracted by family duties.
How Good Dads Can Change the World | Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTFrias—who was arrested in 2013 for interfering with public duties and public intoxication—was not carrying a gun at the time.
Texas Gun Slingers Police the Police—With a Black Panthers Tactic | Brandy Zadrozny | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe NYPD and his duties required him to miss the graduation on December 20.
The pair had argued, and the assistant ceased performing this most onerous of duties.
Instead, he sees his ethical obligations as a matter of duties to those with whom we have relationships.
All through the sad duties of the next four days Felipe was conscious of the undercurrent of this premonition.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonOn some future occasion I may suggest how you may successfully perform your duties in your new position.
Michael Allcroft returned to his duties, tuned for labour, full of courage, and the spirit of enterprise and action.
"Then he neglects his duties, that's all," replied the old gentleman with an indignant snort.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThat is a very flimsy pretext, so that the fiscals may not perform their duties faithfully against the governor.
British Dictionary definitions for duty
/ (ˈdjuːtɪ) /
a task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons
respect or obedience due to a superior, older persons, etc: filial duty
the force that binds one morally or legally to one's obligations
a government tax, esp on imports
British
the quantity or intensity of work for which a machine is designed
a measure of the efficiency of a machine
the quantity of water necessary to irrigate an area of land to grow a particular crop
a job or service allocated
(as modifier): duty rota
do duty for to act as a substitute for
off duty not at work
on duty at work
Origin of duty
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for duty
A tax charged by a government, especially on an import.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with duty
In addition to the idiom beginning with duty
- duty bound
also see:
- above and beyond (the call of duty)
- active duty
do one's dutydouble dutyoff dutyon duty.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse