duty-bound
adjective
morally obliged as a matter of duty
Jump to:
-
duty-bound
-
duty bound
duty boundObliged, as in You're duty bound to help your little brother. [c. 1900]
duty-bound
Britishadjective
duty bound
Idioms
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.
In the world of Martin’s books, even the most duty-bound characters must find their compass in the shadow of life and memory.
From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026
That distance recurs often when he becomes a character in the story — almost as if he feels duty-bound to report his actions, but is unwilling to offer insight about himself.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025
Sometimes, a patient makes an unconventional choice, but if the patient is competent and the request is fundamentally reasonable, the physician is duty-bound to comply.
From Slate • Aug. 20, 2024
“Nevertheless, we are duty-bound to ensure that a defendant in a criminal trial is not convicted based on insufficient evidence or erroneous jury instructions that were not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.”
From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2024
By 1955, Paramount would be desperate to exit the field; Ernest, feeling duty-bound to help his financial partner reduce its exposure to losses, went on the road to help Paramount find a buyer.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
