duty
High (B1+)Formal to neutral. Common in legal, civic, business, and military contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A moral or legal obligation; a task or action one is required to perform.
A payment levied on imports, exports, or manufactured goods; a period of scheduled work.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a sense of moral responsibility or formal requirement. Can be internal (moral duty) or external (legal duty).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Very similar in core meaning. 'Duty' is used more frequently in British English in compounds like 'duty-free', 'duty officer', 'duty roster'. 'Duty' as a tax is slightly more common in UK contexts.
Connotations
In both, carries strong connotations of responsibility, honour, and sometimes burden.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British English corpora, due to institutional use (e.g., police duty, NHS duty).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have a duty to INFit is sb's duty to INFduty to DO sthduty towards sb/sthduty of sbVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Do one's duty”
- “Duty calls”
- “Above and beyond the call of duty”
- “A duty visit (BrE)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to legal/financial obligations (e.g., fiduciary duty, import duties).
Academic
Used in ethics, law, and political science to discuss moral/legal obligations.
Everyday
Refers to chores, work shifts, or general responsibilities (e.g., 'My duty tonight is washing up').
Technical
In engineering: 'heavy-duty'; in customs: 'excise duty'; in military/police: 'active duty'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- It is every citizen's duty to vote.
- The soldier was placed on guard duty.
- You must declare any goods over the duty-free allowance.
American English
- The director has a fiduciary duty to the shareholders.
- He pulled a 24-hour duty at the fire station.
- The tariff imposed a 10% duty on steel imports.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- It is my duty to help my family.
- The police officer is on duty.
- Parents have a duty to protect their children.
- I'm off duty at 6 PM, so we can meet then.
- The company breached its duty of care to its employees.
- Journalists have a duty to report the truth.
- His actions were motivated not by personal gain but by a profound sense of civic duty.
- The judge emphasised the fiduciary duties inherent in the trustee's role.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a DUty-free shop – you are free from the DUty (tax) you'd normally have to pay.
Conceptual Metaphor
DUTY IS A BURDEN (shoulder a duty), DUTY IS A DEBT (pay one's duty to society), DUTY IS A JOURNEY/PATH (the path of duty).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'duty' for a simple 'task' (задача). It's stronger. 'Долг' is closer for moral duty, but 'обязанность' is often more accurate for formal duty. 'Таможенная пошлина' for import/export duty.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'duty' with 'responsibility' (duty is more binding/official). Using 'in duty' instead of 'on duty'. *'I have the duty to clean' (awkward) vs. 'It's my duty to clean' or 'I have a duty to clean'.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase BEST describes a non-optional, legally enforceable responsibility?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Duty' often implies a moral or legal obligation that is externally imposed or inherent to a role. 'Responsibility' is broader and can refer to any task or accountability one has, which may be voluntarily assumed. A duty is a type of responsibility, but not all responsibilities feel as binding as duties.
Yes, especially in the context of customs (import/export duty) or excise duty on goods like alcohol and tobacco.
It refers to the scheduled time when someone is working ('on duty') or not working ('off duty'), commonly used for police, soldiers, nurses, and other shift workers.
It can be both. As a general concept ('a sense of duty'), it's uncountable. For specific tasks or types of tax ('customs duties', 'his duties include...'), it's countable.