Synonyms for duty
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Obligation
obligation, responsibility, part, accountability, charge, charre UK, commitment, mission, office, commission, function, business, province
2. Toll
tax, toll, excise, excise duty, excise tax, tariff, impost, tribute, custom, rate
Definitions
- n. 1
That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
Do your duty by me! -No, we don't have a duty to keep you abreast.
- n. 2
The state of being at work and responsible for or doing a particular task.
I’m on duty from 6 pm to 6 am.
Related words
- Word family
- duteous dutiable dutied dutiful duty-bound
- Phrases
- customs duty death duty tour of duty do one's duty excise duty active duty duty ace duty card
- Is a kind of
- tax levy
Forms
- Plural
- duties → obligations, responsibilities, parts, accountabilities…
Choose the right word
Etymologically, duty is that which is owed or due; obligation, that to or by which one is bound; right, that which is correct, straight, or in the direct line of truth and goodness; responsibility, that for which one must answer.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- responsibility The group claimed responsibility for the bombings.
- commitment Tom made a commitment to cooperate with a company.
- obligation It is the obligation of every worker to pay taxes.
- quality Air quality has deteriorated these past few years.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| duty | falling | |
| responsibility | falling | |
| commitment | rising | |
| obligation | steady | |
| excise | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- tax1
- 4 letters
- work1, part1, rate1, toll1
- 6 letters
- office2, charge1, custom2, homage2, tariff2, excise2, impost, charre
- 7 letters
- service2, quality3, calling2, mission2, tribute2
- 8 letters
- business2, function2, province2
- 10 letters
- commission3, commitment3, obligation4, allegiance3
- 14 letters
- responsibility6, accountability6
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (office2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- devoir
- Español
- deber
- Deutsch
- Hausaufgabe
- Català
- deure