What does "duty" mean?

That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.

Duty

Common synonyms include: accountability, obligation, obligation, responsibility, active service, ad valorem duty.

//ˈdjuː.ti// name, noun

name, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level

Noun

1
That which one is morally or legally obligated to do. countable, uncountable
"Do your duty by me! -No, we don't have a duty to keep you abreast."
2
work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons wordnet
3
The state of being at work and responsible for or doing a particular task. uncountable
"I’m on duty from 6 pm to 6 am."
4
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force wordnet
5
A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff. countable
"customs duty; excise duty"

Show 5 more definitions

6
a government tax on imports or exports wordnet
7
One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Take that which is thy duty, and goo thy waye."
8
Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"my duty to you"
9
The efficiency of an engine in work done per unit of fuel; particularly, the number of pounds of water which a steam pumping engine can raise one foot by burning one bushel or hundredweight of coal. countable, uncountable
10
The act of urination or defecation, especially for a dog. countable, euphemistic, uncountable
"The basic idea in housebreaking is not to wait until the puppy sins and then punish him; it is to call nature to your aid and thus make it easy for him to do his duty."

Proper Noun

"You must account for your neglect of duty."

From Middle English duete, from Middle English dewe + Middle English -te. Equivalent to due + -ty.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.