duty

1 of 2

noun

du·​ty ˈdü-tē 

 also  ˈdyü-

plural duties

1

: conduct due to parents and superiors : respect

filial duty and obedience

—John Locke

2

a

: obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group)

was his duty to support his family

Her primary duty at the meeting was to take attendance.

performs a variety of administrative duties

b(1)

: assigned service or business

was put on kitchen duty

jury duty

(2)

: active military service

returning from duty overseas

(3)

: a period of being on duty

report for duty at 7 a.m.

3

a

: a moral or legal obligation

felt it was their duty to help

b

: the force of moral obligation

will be ready when duty calls

4

: tax

especially : a tax on imports

a 15 percent duty

5

a

: work sense 1c

b(1)

: the service required (as of an electric machine) under specified conditions

(2)

: functional application : use

got double duty out of the trip

(3)

: use as a substitute

making the word do duty for the thing

—Edward Sapir

duty

2 of 2

adjective

1

: done as a duty

pay a duty call on her elderly aunt

2

: being on duty : assigned to specified tasks or functions

the duty officer

Phrases

off duty

: free from assignment or responsibility

a police officer who was off duty at the time

on duty

: engaged in or responsible for an assigned task or duty

not allowed to take personal calls while on duty

Synonyms

Noun

• tax

Choose the Right Synonym for duty

function, office, duty, province mean the acts or operations expected of a person or thing.

function implies a definite end or purpose or a particular kind of work.

the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information

—Aldous Huxley

office is typically applied to the function or service associated with a trade or profession or a special relationship to others.

they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor

—W. E. Gladstone

duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling.

it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case

—R. B. Taney

province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one.

I felt it was not my province to inquire

—Anne Brontë

task, duty, job, chore, stint, assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

Examples of duty in a Sentence

Noun

His primary duty at the event is to take attendance.

If new employees are unable to carry out their duties, they may be fired.

We felt it was our duty to help.

He has a duty to support his family.

They helped her out of a sense of duty.

I'll be ready when duty calls.

Her brother returned from duty overseas.

a twelve-month tour of duty

Many reserve troops were called into active duty.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Committee Republicans say the investigative report reflects the most serious evidence to date that Biden was not fully executing his duties, and that staff effectively assumed the powers vested in the presidency without constitutional authority. —Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025

Tim Hobert has stepped down from duties co-heading the series due to creative differences, while Aseem Batra will now serve as a solo showrunner as filming continues. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Newly promoted and newly in charge of at-sea extra-duty assignments, a second class sonarman in my division named Duff switched me from quarterdeck watch with the 9mm to line detail. —Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025

The reasons are telling: duty drawback involves navigating a maze of regulations, matching import and export records across years of transactions, and filing paperwork with U.S. Customs and Border Protection — a process that can take months using traditional methods. —Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English duete, from Anglo-French deueté, dueté, from deu due

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing duty

• active duty
• beyond the call of duty
• death duty
• do duty as
• double duty
• duty bound
• duty-free
• duty to retreat
• heavy-duty
• in the line of duty
• jury duty
• line of duty
• report for duty
• sea duty
• succession duty
• temporary duty
• went beyond the call of duty

Rhymes for duty

• beauty
• booty
• cutie
• fruity
• putti
• snooty
• sooty
• sruti
• tutti

Kids Definition

duty

noun

du·​ty

ˈd(y)üt-ē

plural duties

1

: conduct due to parents and superiors : respect

2

: the action required by one's position or occupation

3

a

: a moral or legal obligation

b

: the force of moral obligation

4

: tax entry 2 sense 1

especially : a tax on imports

5

: the service required (as of an electric machine)

withstands heavy duty

Legal Definition

duty

noun

du·​ty

plural duties

1

: tasks, service, or functions that arise from one's position

performing a police officer's duties

also : a period of being on duty see also jury duty

2

: an obligation assumed (as by contract) or imposed by law to conduct oneself in conformance with a certain standard or to act in a particular way

duty of good faith

a duty to warn of danger

see also public duty doctrine, special duty doctrine

— duty of candor \ -​ˈkan-​dər \

: a duty obligating directors of a corporation to disclose all material facts known to them about a transaction when they are seeking shareholder approval

— duty of care

: a duty to use due care toward others in order to protect them from unnecessary risk of harm

— duty of fair representation

: a duty obligating a labor union to represent the employees in its collective bargaining unit fairly and in good faith

— duty of loyalty

: a duty obligating directors of a corporation to refrain from using their positions to further their own interests rather than the interests of the shareholders (as by self-dealing or fraud)

— fiduciary duty

: a duty obligating a fiduciary (as an agent or trustee) to act with loyalty and honesty and in a manner consistent with the best interests of the beneficiary of the fiduciary relationship (as a principal or trust beneficiary)

3

: tax

especially : a tax on imports

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French deuté indebtedness, obligation, from deu owing, due, from Old French see due