duty
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also dutý
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English duete, from Old French deu (“due”), past participle of devoir (“to owe”), from Latin debere (“to owe”), from de (“from”) + habere (“to have”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
duty (plural duties)
- That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
- England expects that every man will do his duty. (Nelson)
- We don't have a duty to keep you here.
- A period of time spent at work or doing a particular task.
- I’m on duty from 6 pm to 6 am.
- describing a workload as to its idle, working and de-energized periods.
- A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff.
- (obsolete) One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew XX:
- Take that which is thy duty, and goo thy waye.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew XX:
[edit] Usage notes
- Adjectives often used with "duty": public, private, moral, legal, social, double, civic, contractual, political, judicial, etc.
[edit] Synonyms
- (that which one is obligated to do): obligation
[edit] Antonyms
[edit] Derived terms
Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
that which one is morally or legally obligated to do
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period of time
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tax; tariff
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] Statistics
[edit] External links
- duty in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- duty in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- duty at OneLook Dictionary Search
