duty-bound
adjective
morally obliged as a matter of duty
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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.
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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
To Williams, it hinted at a more menacing scenario — at secret ties between those who threaten the rule of the law and those duty-bound to enforce it.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 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
Among those who remained at the hospital were patients who could not move, displaced people with nowhere to go, and medics who felt duty-bound to stay.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2024
They can’t hurt it, because of the wire cage, but Ms. Warner still feels duty-bound to stop them.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
Fifa's official position has always been it will discuss expansion ideas with its stakeholders and it is duty bound to consider any proposals from its council members.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
“The county prosecutors are duty bound to follow Ohio law,” he wrote, noting that the memo would suffice as he office’s only comment on the matter.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
“I feel duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry,” Raab said in his resignation statement, adding that he was “genuinely sorry.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023
He said he felt "duty bound" to accept the outcome of the inquiry but also staunchly defended his conduct.
From Reuters ● Apr. 21, 2023
To Aron’s questions he replied that he was working on a surprise and was duty bound to tell no one.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
