duty
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
How often you will meet it
Rank 685 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 27,577 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.013% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force also: responsibility, obligation we must instill a sense of duty in our childrenevery right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty
- work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons the duties of the job
- a government tax on imports or exports also: tariff they signed a treaty to lower duties on trade between their countries
duty in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Everyone feels 'tis a duty to listen.
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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But there our duty lies, the wind grows cold!
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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When did ye cross a priest's foot to go to your duty?
The Station · William Carleton · Chapter 1
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Fagging, which began after the first fortnight, he found a not unpleasant duty.
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
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The vestal virgins, whose duty it was to keep the fire burning on the altar in the temple of Vesta.
Narrative and Lyric Poems (first series) · O. J. [Annotator] Stevenson · Chapter 1