duty
noun OPAL S
/ˈdjuːti/
/ˈduːti/
(plural duties)
Idioms - [countable, uncountable] something that you feel you have to do because it is your moral or legal responsibility
- duty to do something It is my duty to report it to the police.
- Local councillors have a duty to serve the community.
- under a duty to do something You are under a legal duty to keep accurate records.
- to do your duty for your country
- duty to somebody/something He has failed in his duty to his client.
- duty as somebody your duties as a parent
- duty of something The company owes a duty of care to its employees.
- duty of doing something Local councils were charged with the duty of allocating land for building.
- a statutory/fiduciary duty
- a civic/patriotic/moral duty
- I don't want you to visit me simply out of a sense of duty.
- I’ll have to go, I’m afraid—duty calls (= there is a duty I need to go and do).
- a breach/dereliction of duty
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesb1- I'd be shirking my duty if I didn't warn him.
- It's the duty of each and every one of us to do their best for the team.
- It was ruled that the injured man was in breach of his duty by not wearing the safety equipment provided.
- I feel it's my bounden duty to try and help her.
- It was a duty imposed by her father.
- It was a clear breach of professional duty.
- The time he put in helping new recruits went beyond the call of duty.
- I feel it is my civic duty to vote.
- She felt she had fulfilled her duty by providing him with a son.
- She had violated her legal duty of confidentiality.
- He had failed in his duty to his daughter.
- He took on the duty of maintaining the family home.
- They have a duty to their parents to work hard.
- She put down the phone and went out, her duty done.
- He felt it was his moral duty to help his neighbour.
- You feel that you have to do your duty by your children.
- the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders
- the general duty of the police to preserve the peace
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- contractual
- legal
- statutory
- …
- have
- owe
- carry out
- …
- call
- under a/the duty
- duty of
- duty to
- …
- a breach of duty
- do your duty by somebody
- be duty bound to do something
- …
- [uncountable] the work that is your job
- Report for duty at 8 a.m.
- He was the duty manager that day.
Extra ExamplesTopics Jobsb2- Colleagues became suspicious when he failed to report for duty.
- He was was on kitchen duty.
- Police usually do beat duty in pairs.
- He's been suspended from active duty.
- Sergeant Wilson had pulled parking-lot duty.
- The company is liable if you are injured during the execution of your duty.
- The regular presenter does double duty as a staff writer.
- The soldier was sent to his new duty station.
- He has volunteered for temporary duty assignments in counterterrorist activities.
- Her son was released from duty in the army to visit her in hospital.
- the supermarket's senior duty manager
- veterans who saw combat duty in Vietnam
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- light
- onerous
- day
- …
- have
- pull
- see
- …
- fall to somebody
- manager
- officer
- doctor
- …
- off duty
- on duty
- the execution of your duties
- the performance of your duties
- duties[plural] tasks that are part of your job
- I spend a lot of time on administrative duties.
- The princess has taken on her mother's official duties.
- to perform/fulfil/discharge your duties
- Your duties will include greeting visitors and answering the phone.
Extra ExamplesTopics Jobsb2- He leaves hospital tomorrow and is expected to resume his duties at the beginning of next month.
- He will be allowed to return to his duties after the enquiry.
- The cleaning duties now fell to Rachel.
- He was accused of neglecting his professional duties.
- My household duties were not particularly onerous.
- I share the cooking duties with Bell.
- He was unable to perform his assigned duties because of ill health.
- The troops are here to perform peacekeeping duties.
- When I returned to work after my illness I was put on light duties.
- The company prefers to handle translation duties in-house.
- The members of staff each have their own duties.
- When he failed to turn up for training, he was relieved of his duties as captain.
- Mr Davies had been relieved of his duties.
- The suspect was charged with obstructing an officer in the course of his duties.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- light
- onerous
- day
- …
- have
- pull
- see
- …
- fall to somebody
- manager
- officer
- doctor
- …
- off duty
- on duty
- the execution of your duties
- the performance of your duties
- [countable, uncountable] a tax that you pay on things that you buy, especially those that you bring into a country
- customs/excise/import duties
- duty on something duty on wine and beer
- The US imposed a duty on imports from China.
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyc1- They are going to put duty on foreign cars.
- Beer for personal use is exempt from duty.
- By changing its supplier, the company saved thousands of pounds in import duty.
- Cider carries duty at the lower rate.
- There will also be stamp duty payable at the applicable rate.
- They claim that the wine is for personal use and so evade the duty.
- Tobacco duty is a major source of revenue for the government.
- We tried to estimate the amount of duty we would have to pay.
- You have to pay duty on all electrical goods.
- excise duty on spirits
- the heavy duty on cigarettes
- The company has to pay customs duties on all imports.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- heavy
- high
- low
- …
- amount
- impose
- slap on somebody/something
- increase
- …
- be payable
- in duty
- duty on
see also death duty, stamp duty
Word Originlate Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French duete, from Old French deu ‘owed’, based on Latin debitus ‘owed’, from debere ‘owe’ .
Idioms
(above and) beyond the call of duty
- to a higher standard or level than is required for a job or task
- She went above and beyond the call of duty in her efforts to save his life.
Synonyms taxtax
- duty
- customs
- tariff
- rates
- tax money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services:
- income tax
- tax cuts
- duty a tax that you pay on things that you buy, especially those that you bring into a country:
- The company has to pay customs duties on all imports.
- customs tax that is paid when goods are brought in from other countries
- tariff a tax that is paid on goods coming into or going out of a country, often in order to protect industry from cheap imports:
- A general tariff was imposed on foreign imports.
- rates (in Britain) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use, and in the past also paid by anyone who owned a house:
- Business rates are very high in the city centre.
- (a) tax/duty/tariff/rates on something
- to pay an amount of money in tax/duty/customs/rates
- to pay (a) tax/duty/customs/tariff/rates
- to collect taxes/duties/rates
- to increase/raise/reduce taxes/duty/tariffs/rates
- to cut taxes/duties/rates
- to impose a tax/duty/tariff
- to put a tax/duty on something
a/your bounden duty
- (old-fashioned, formal) something that you feel you must do; a responsibility which cannot be ignored
- He felt it was his bounden duty to tell the police what he knew.
- We have a bounden duty to respond to this call for help.
do/pull/serve double duty (as something)
- to perform two roles or functions at the same time
- This device can pull double duty as a decent laptop and an adequate tablet.
- She deserves credit for serving double duty as a host and performer.
in the line of duty
- while doing a job
- A policeman was injured in the line of duty yesterday.
on/off duty
- (of nurses, police officers, etc.) working/not working at a particular time
- Who's on duty today?
- What time do you go off duty?
- You're not allowed to drink alcohol on duty.