dutiful
adjective
du·ti·ful
ˈdü-ti-fəl 
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
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
The dutiful officer put the query up the ranks.
—
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
But the team behind the image conversion seemingly used footage without a bunch of the usual postproduction edits—hence the appearance of inessential elements like those dutiful barf wranglers and, in the background of a different shot, contemporary store signage.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2025
Sean has been a dutiful son always ensuring that I was cared for and vigilantly managing my medical care, as well as providing financial support.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
The film can be read as the rebellion of a dutiful daughter, Lucía, who becomes a quasi-mother to protect her young brother Adrián from his destiny.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
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Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
But the team behind the image conversion seemingly used footage without a bunch of the usual postproduction edits—hence the appearance of inessential elements like those dutiful barf wranglers and, in the background of a different shot, contemporary store signage.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2025
Sean has been a dutiful son always ensuring that I was cared for and vigilantly managing my medical care, as well as providing financial support.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025
The film can be read as the rebellion of a dutiful daughter, Lucía, who becomes a quasi-mother to protect her young brother Adrián from his destiny.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dutiful. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dutiful
adjective
du·ti·ful
ˈd(y)üt-i-fəl
: having or showing a sense of duty
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