dutiful

adjective

du·​ti·​ful ˈdü-ti-fəl How to pronounce dutiful (audio)
 also  ˈdyü-
1
: filled with or motivated by a sense of duty
a dutiful child
2
: proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty
a dutiful effort
dutifully adverb
dutifulness noun

Examples of dutiful in a Sentence

the dutiful way he took care of his sick mother the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner
Recent Examples on the Web Complete with four farm animals and one dutiful farmer, your little one’s farmhouse is full of fun characters. Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024 The new Oxford edition, ever dutiful, treats us to the poet’s earnest envoi, its stanzas stiff with respectable yearning. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 The Gentlemen, similarly feels like the dutiful product of a prior commitment. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 But the man himself has been abstracted into an image for sale, a signifier adorning a dorm-room poster, his songs of peace and freedom the dutiful standards of beach-bar cover bands across the globe. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 So many dutiful Bills fans showed up on Friday that lines snaked around the stadium for hours. Jalen Wright, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024 That, at least, is one sure thing, in a film whose intriguing ideas are made stale and unsatisfying by their dull and dutiful delivery. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Tank Brocklehurst is a fan and dutiful citizen who started a Change.org petition that gathered 215,960 signatures on Donna’s behalf. Haley Strack, National Review, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dutiful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dutiful was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near dutiful

Cite this Entry

“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dutiful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dutiful

adjective
du·​ti·​ful ˈd(y)üt-i-fəl How to pronounce dutiful (audio)
: having or showing a sense of duty
dutifully adverb
dutifulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dutiful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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