Synonyms

dutifully

American

[doo-tuh-flee, dyoo-] / ˈdu tə fli, ˈdyu- /

adverb

in a way that is required by moral or legal obligation, societal or cultural expectations, or a person’s position or occupation.

She dutifully registered to vote and received her ballot.
The player was stunned by the trade, but he dutifully reported to Cleveland after a decade in the Manhattan limelight.

Other Word Forms

quasi-dutifully adverb
undutifully adverb

Etymology

Origin of dutifully

dutiful ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When George Templeton Strong, a prominent Wall Street attorney, died at 55 in 1875, the New York Tribune’s obituary dutifully listed his gentlemanly contributions to the cultural life of his city.

From The Wall Street Journal

I asked, suddenly confronted with a wall of nine lasagnas, each dutifully dropped off by a loving member of her orbit.

From Salon

“No one’s going to come in,” said Molly, dutifully pretending to watch the door and not Anat.

From Literature

We bought into that idea and dutifully paid mortgages on numerous houses over the course of our marriage.

From MarketWatch

“I worry about all the people who have dutifully filed applications and whose lives are now on hold.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023