duty

[ doo-tee, dyoo- ]

noun

, plural du·ties.

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.

duty

/ 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. do duty for
   to act as a substitute for
9. off duty
   not at work
10. on duty
    at work

duty

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of duty¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of duty¹

C13: from Anglo-French dueté, from Old French deu due

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

   bookcases that do duty as room dividers.

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

   They spent their days off duty in hiking and fishing.

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

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

More idioms and phrases containing duty

In addition to the idiom beginning with duty , also see above and beyond (the call of duty) ; active duty do one's duty ; double duty ; off duty ; on duty .

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

In a retirement speech in September 2023, Milley — who worries about being recalled to active duty and court-martialed under a new Trump administration, according to Woodward’s latest book, “War” — offered an indirect commentary widely presumed to refer to the former president: “We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen, to a tyrant or dictator, or wannabe dictator.”

From Los Angeles Times

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked” by the nomination, saying it reaffirmed the need for the Senate to hold on to its constitutional duty of providing “advice and consent.”

From Salon

Meanwhile, the Waitangi Tribunal, which was set up in 1975 to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, notes the bill "purposefully excluded any consultation with Māori, breaching the principle of partnership, the Crown’s good-faith obligations, and the Crown’s duty to actively protect Māori rights and interests".

From BBC

It said home education should be a positive choice, and where families choose it, local authorities have a legal duty to ensure all children receive a suitable education.

From BBC

But after President Biden was elected, Hegseth left the military, complaining he was ordered to stand down from his duty guarding Biden’s inauguration because top brass dubbed him a “white nationalist” and an “extremist.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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