duty-bound
Britishadjective
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
Simon Baker KC, representing the Post Office, said while the company was duty-bound to investigate the case based on evidence available at the time, the case "amounts to an abuse of process".
From BBC • Jan. 25, 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.
