duty

American  

[doo-tee, dyoo-] / ˈdu ti, ˈdyu- /

noun

duties plural

1. something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.

2. the binding or obligatory force of something that is morally or legally right; moral or legal obligation.

3. an action or task required by a person's position or occupation; function.

   the duties of a clergyman.

   Synonyms:

   role, place, concern

4. the respectful and obedient conduct due a parent, superior, elder, etc.

   Synonyms:

   impost, assessment, task, job, chore, assignment, devoir, charge, burden, obligation, responsibility, commitment, tithe, toll, tariff, levy

5. an act or expression of respect.

6. a task or chore that a person is expected to perform.

   It's your duty to do the dishes.

7. Military.

   1. an assigned task, occupation, or place of service.

      He was on radar duty for two years.

   2. the military service required of a citizen by a country.

      After graduation, he began his duty.

8. Commerce. a specific or ad valorem tax imposed by law on the import or export of goods.

9. a payment, service, etc., imposed and enforceable by law or custom.

10. Chiefly British. tax.

    income duty.

11. Machinery.

    1. the amount of work done by an engine per unit amount of fuel consumed.

    2. the measure of effectiveness of any machine.

12. Agriculture. the amount of water necessary to provide for the crop in a given area.

13. Baby Talk. bowel movement.

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idioms

1. on duty, at one's post or work; occupied; engaged.

   He was suspended from the force for being drunk while on duty.

2. do duty, to serve the same function; substitute for.

   bookcases that do duty as room dividers.

3. off duty, not at one's post or work; at liberty.

   They spent their days off duty in hiking and fishing.

duty British  

/ ˈdjuːtɪ /

noun

1. a task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons

2. respect or obedience due to a superior, older persons, etc

   filial duty

3. the force that binds one morally or legally to one's obligations

4. a government tax, esp on imports

5. 1. the quantity or intensity of work for which a machine is designed

   2. a measure of the efficiency of a machine

6. the quantity of water necessary to irrigate an area of land to grow a particular crop

7. 1. a job or service allocated

   2. ( as modifier )

      duty rota

8. to act as a substitute for

9. not at work

10. at work

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duty Cultural  

1. A tax charged by a government, especially on an import.

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duty More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing duty

• above and beyond (the call of duty)
• active duty
• do one's duty
• double duty
• off duty
• on duty

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Synonym Usage

Duty, obligation refer to what one feels bound to do. Duty is what one performs, or avoids doing, in fulfillment of the permanent dictates of conscience, piety, right, or law: duty to one's country; one's duty to tell the truth, to raise children properly. An obligation is what one is bound to do to fulfill the dictates of usage, custom, or propriety, and to carry out a particular, specific, and often personal promise or agreement: financial obligations.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• duties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of duty

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English du(e)te, from Anglo-French duete; see due, -ty ²

Explanation

When you've done your duty, you've done what you're supposed to and met your responsibilities. Your sense of duty as a citizen might compel you to vote; it might also keep you from voting twice. A duty is an obligation, and we get new duties with new positions in life, like taking a job, or becoming a parent. You didn't realize one of your duties as club president would be cleaning up after meetings. A police officer or cab driver can be on-duty or off-duty. As an off-duty police officer, you might still feel it's your duty to stop a robbery. Duty also means "tax," which is why people like shopping duty-free at the airport.

Example Sentences

Since its introduction, organisations and individuals have been able to take public bodies to court for failing to abide by the duty.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

It was my duty to teach the canon, even if I didn’t agree with Didion, because my students needed to be aware of her.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Government guidance says the duty should "always be applied in a proportionate way" depending on the circumstances of the case and that organisations should avoid an "overly bureaucratic and burdensome approach".

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Pacific island neighbour Vanuatu secured a landmark win last year in the International Court of Justice, which found nations had a legal duty to prevent harms from planet-warming pollution.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

But when Hitler invaded Poland on September 1,1939, and launched the start of World War II, Dasch decided his duty was to his native country.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• burden
• business
• charge
• chore
• commission
• commitment
• contract
• function
• job
• need
• obligation
• office
• role
• service
• task
• work