tour of duty: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, military, bureaucratic, journalistic.
Quick answer
What does “tour of duty” mean?
A fixed period of time during which a soldier or military personnel is assigned to a specific location or role.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fixed period of time during which a soldier or military personnel is assigned to a specific location or role.
A designated period of service or responsibility in any demanding or structured profession, often implying a challenging, temporary assignment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in US military and political discourse; in UK, 'tour' alone is frequently used for military postings (e.g., 'a tour in Afghanistan').
Connotations
US: Often evokes images of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan conflicts. UK: Slightly less politically charged, more matter-of-fact.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English across all contexts (news, government, conversation).
Grammar
How to Use “tour of duty” in a Sentence
serve a tour of duty (in/at [location])complete one's tour of dutyduring his/her tour of dutyVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically for demanding, temporary assignments, e.g., 'His tour of duty as interim CEO ended last quarter.'
Academic
Used in political science, history, and sociology texts discussing military service and its social impacts.
Everyday
Primarily used when discussing military service of friends/family or in news consumption; metaphorical use is growing.
Technical
Precise military term denoting a specific operational assignment with defined start/end dates and location.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tour of duty”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tour of duty”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tour of duty”
- Using 'tour of duty' for any job (over-extending metaphor), confusing it with 'tour of duty' as a sightseeing obligation, incorrect preposition ('tour of duty *on* Iraq').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. Its core meaning is military. However, it is increasingly used metaphorically for any demanding, fixed-term job or role.
'Tour' can be leisure (sightseeing) or work (musician). 'Tour of duty' is exclusively for service, emphasizing obligation and often hardship. In a military context, 'tour' is often a shortened form of 'tour of duty'.
Yes, but it's more common to say 'begin' or 'start one's tour'. The most frequent collocations are with completing or serving a tour.
It is recognized, especially in management and HR literature, to describe a high-stakes, temporary leadership role (e.g., turning around a failing division). It's not yet everyday casual speech.
A fixed period of time during which a soldier or military personnel is assigned to a specific location or role.
Tour of duty is usually formal, military, bureaucratic, journalistic. in register.
Tour of duty: in British English it is pronounced /ˌtʊər əv ˈdjuːti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌtʊr əv ˈduːti/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(metaphorically) My year managing that project was a real tour of duty.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'tour' like a guided trip, but this 'duty' trip is mandatory, hard work, and has a strict schedule.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A MILITARY CAMPAIGN / WORK IS A BATTLE ('serving one's time' in a difficult role).
Practice
Quiz
In a non-military business context, 'tour of duty' best describes: