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 |
Words Nearby duty
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use duty in a sentence
With more than 30 million people in the United States at least partially vaccinated against covid-19, you may wonder whether the shot has done its duty, arming your immune system to fight off infection.
Why you shouldn’t get a covid antibody test after your vaccine | Lindsey Bever | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostOn the first Tuesday in December, the texts to Teen Line stacked up faster than the six volunteers on duty could answer them.
Extra duty provisions were tagged whenever the contract acknowledged the existence of such an arrangement.
How We Found Pricey Provisions in New Jersey Police Contracts | by Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublica, and Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press | February 8, 2021 | ProPublicaThe former chief, Philip Zacche, pleaded guilty to taking money for extra duty work he didn’t do.
How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts | by Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, and Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublica | February 8, 2021 | ProPublicaThe story you tell is of deferring to others, out of an unspoken sense of duty — that this is how marriage or family work so you’re going to do your part.
Carolyn Hax: Left behind at the holidays? Start setting your life’s itinerary. | Carolyn Hax | February 5, 2021 | Washington Post
In his view, a writer has only one duty: to be present in his books.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President | Pierre Assouline | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTOur duty is to make sure that they realize that the Prophet is not avenged.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTA passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
They selected an “easy mark” who turned out to be an off-duty NYC Housing Authority cop named James Carragher.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside | Justin Rohrlich | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxEach did his duty, or was adjured to do it, in the "state of life to which it had pleased God to call him."
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockThe dead bodies of the two men were guarded until next day, for justice to do its duty.
That alone is being sent to your Majesty as a report, in order to inform you of everything, as is my duty.
His duty it was to stand at the head of the scalding trough, watch in hand, to "time" the length of the scald, crying "Hog in!"
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
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.
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