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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Duty Definition, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：moral or legal obligation (duty)

duty 🔊

/ˈdjuːti/

Something you must do because it is your job or because it is right.

Nurse performing duty caring for patients in hospital room

moral or legal obligation 🔊

➕

/ˈmɔːrəl ɔːr ˈliːɡəl ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən/

A task or action that someone is required to perform because of their job, role, moral principles, or legal requirements.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'debitus' (owed), via Old French 'dueté'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Do Your Duty'—the rhyme 'do' and 'duty' help recall the sense of obligation.

📖 Example

As a firefighter, her duty is to save lives in emergencies. 🔊 As a firefighter, her duty is to save lives in emergencies.

🔗 Collocations

sense of duty – a feeling of moral or legal obligation

perform one's duty – to carry out the required responsibilities

duty of care – a legal obligation to avoid causing harm to others

🔄 Synonyms

responsibility (n.) – a task or duty that one is required to deal with

obligation (n.) – an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound

task (n.) – a piece of work to be done or undertaken

🚫 Antonyms

option (n.) – something that can be chosen freely, not required

choice (n.) – the right or freedom to decide without external compulsion

privilege (n.) – a special right or advantage not required of everyone

🌱 Derivatives

dutiful (adj.) – conscientiously performing one's duties

duty-bound (adj.) – morally or legally required to do something

duty-free (adj.) – exempt from customs duties (common in airport shopping)

📖 Cultural Story

In medieval feudal systems, 'duty' referred to the service owed by a vassal to a lord; today it embodies moral or legal obligations in law, ethics, and civic life.

Meaning 2：tax on imported goods (duty)

duty 🔊

/ˈdjuːti/

A tax you pay on goods that are brought into a country.

Customs officer collecting duty on imported luggage at airport

tax on imported goods 🔊

➕

/tæks ɒn ɪmˈpɔːrtɪd ɡʊdz/

A tax levied by a government on goods brought into a country from abroad, often used to regulate trade or generate revenue.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

If you order electronics from overseas, you might need to pay duty when they arrive. 🔊 If you order electronics from overseas, you might need to pay duty when they arrive.

🔗 Collocations

import duty – a tax charged on goods brought into a country

customs duty – a tax levied by a customs authority on imports or exports

duty-free – exempt from customs duties (e.g., airport shops)

🔄 Synonyms

tariff (n.) – a tax or duty imposed on imported or exported goods

levy (n.) – a tax or fee imposed by a government

excise (n.) – a tax on the production, sale, or use of certain goods

🚫 Antonyms

exemption (n.) – the act of freeing someone from an obligation or tax

subsidy (n.) – a financial grant from the government to reduce costs, opposite of a tax