SG Heritage Dictionary

Duty [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.

2. Forbearance of that which is forbid by morality, law, justice or propriety. It is our duty to refrain from lewdness, intemperance, profaneness and injustice.

3. Obedience; submission.

4. Act of reverence or respect.

5. They both did duty to their lady.

6. The business of a soldier or marine on guard; as, the company is on duty It is applied also to other services or labor.

7. The business of war; military service; as, the regiment did duty in Flanders.

8. Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods. An impost on land or other real estate, and on the stock of farmers, is not called a duty but a direct tax.

Duty [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. That which is due; payment.

2. That which a person is bound by moral obligation to do, or refrain from doing; that which one ought to do; service morally obligatory.

3. Hence, any assigned service or business; as, the duties of a policeman, or a soldier; to be on duty.

4. Specifically, obedience or submission due to parents and superiors.

5. Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.

6. The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).

7. Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods.

Business Roget’s Thesaurus §625

N. business, occupation, employment, pursuit, what one is doing, what one is about, affair, concern, matter, case, matter in hand, irons in the fire, thing to do, agendum, task, work, job, chore, errand, commission, mission, charge, care, duty, part, role, cue, province, function, lookout, department, capacity, sphere, orb, field, line, walk, walk of life, beat, round, routine, race, career, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, vocation, calling, profession, cloth, faculty, industry, art, industrial arts, craft, mystery, handicraft, trade, exercise, work, avocation, press of business

V. pass one's time in, employ one's time in, spend one's time in, employ oneself in, employ oneself upon, occupy oneself with, concern oneself with, make it one's business, undertake, enter a profession, betake oneself to, turn one's hand to, have to do with, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, drive a trade, carry on a trade, do a trade, transact a trade, carry on business, do business, transact business, keep a shop, ply one's task, ply one's trade, labor in one's vocation, pursue the even tenor of one's way, attend to business, attend to one's work, officiate, serve, act, act one's part, play one's part, do duty, serve the office of, discharge the office of, perform the office of, perform the duties of, perform the functions of, hold an office, fill an office, fill a place, fill a situation, hold a portfolio, hold a place, hold a situation, be about, be doing, be engaged in, be employed in, be occupied with, be at work on, have one's hands in, have in hand, have on one's hands, have on one's shoulders, bear the burden, have one's hands full, be in the hands of, be on the stocks, be on the anvil, pass through one's hands

Adj. businesslike, phr, workaday, "a business with an income at its heels", professional, amoto quaeramus seria ludo, official, par negotiis neque supra, functional, busy, on hand, in hand, in one's hands, afoot, on foot, on the anvil, going on, acting

Adv. in the course of business, all in one's day's work, professionally &c

Exertion Roget’s Thesaurus §686

N. exertion, effort, strain, tug, pull, stress, throw, stretch, struggle, spell, spurt, spirt, stroke of work, stitch of work, "a strong pull a long pull and a pull all together", dead lift, heft, gymnastics, exercise, exercitation, wear and tear, ado, toil and trouble, uphill work, hard work, warm work, harvest time, labor, work, toil, travail, manual labor, sweat of one's brow, swink, drudgery, slavery, fagging, hammering, limae labor, industry, industriousness, operoseness, operosity, trouble, pains, duty, resolution, energy

V. exert oneself, exert one's energies, tax one's energies, use exertion, labor, work, toil, moil, sweat, fag, drudge, slave, drag a lengthened chain, wade through, strive, stretch a long arm, pull, tug, ply, ply the oar, tug at the oar, do the work, take the laboring oar bestir oneself (be active) 682, take trouble, trouble oneself, work hard, rough it, put forth one's strength, put forth a strong arm, fall to work, bend the bow, buckle to, set one's shoulder to the wheel, work like a horse, work like a cart horse, work like a galley slave, work like a coal heaver, labor day and night, work day and night, redouble one's efforts, do double duty, work double hours, work double tides, sit up, burn the candle at both ends, stick to, work one's way, fight one's way, lay about one, hammer at, take pains, do one's best, do one's level best, do one's utmost, give one hundred percent, do the best one can, do all one can, do all in one's power, do as much as in one lies, do what lies in one's power, use one's best endeavor, use one's utmost endeavor, try one's best, try one's utmost, play one's best card, put one's best leg foremost, put one's right leg foremost, have one's whole soul in his work, put all one's strength into, strain every nerve, spare no efforts, spare no pains, go all lengths, go through fire and water, move heaven and earth, leave no stone unturned

Adj. laboring, laborious, operose, elaborate, strained, toilsome, troublesome, wearisome, uphill, herculean, gymnastic, palestric, hard-working, painstaking, strenuous, energetic, hard at work, on the stretch

Adv. laboriously, lustily, pugnis et calcibus, with might and main, with all one's might, with a strong hand, with a sledge hammer, with much ado, to the best of one's abilities, totis viribus, vi et armis, manibus pedibusque, tooth and nail, unguibus et rostro, hammer and tongs, heart and soul, through thick and thin, by the sweat of one's brow, suo marte

Phr. aide-toi le ciel t'aidera, "and still be doing, never done", buen principio la mitad es hecha, cosa ben fatta e' fatta due volie, "it is better to wear out than to rust out", labor omnia vincit "labor, wide as the earth, has its summit in heaven", le travail du corps delivre des peines de l'esprit, manu forti, ora et labora

Price Roget’s Thesaurus §812

N. price, amount, cost, expense, prime cost, charge, figure, demand, damage, fare, hire, wages, value, dues, duty, toll, tax, impost, cess, sess, tallage, levy, abkari, capitation tax, poll tax, doomage, likin, gabel, gabelle, gavel, octroi, custom, excise, assessment, benevolence, tithe, tenths, exactment, ransom, salvage, tariff, brokerage, wharfage, freightage, bill, shot

V. bear a price, set a price, fix a price, appraise, assess, doom, price, charge, demand, ask, require, exact, run up, distrain, run up a bill, have one's price, liquidate, amount to, come to, mount up to, stand one in, fetch, sell for, cost, bring in, yield, afford

Adj. priced, to the tune of, ad valorem, dutiable, mercenary, venal

Phr. no penny no paternoster, point d'argent point de suisse, no longer pipe no longer dance, no song no supper, if you dance you have to pay the piper, you get what you pay for, there's no such thing as a free lunch, one may have it for, a bon marche

Courtesy Roget’s Thesaurus §894

N. courtesy, respect, good manners, good behavior, good breeding, manners, politeness, bienseance, urbanity, comity, gentility, breeding, polish, presence, civility, civilization, amenity, suavity, good temper, good humor, amiability, easy temper, complacency, soft tongue, mansuetude, condescension, affability, complaisance, prvenance, amability, gallantry, pink of politeness, pink of courtesy, compliment, fair words, soft words, sweet words, honeyed phrases, ceremonial, salutation, reception, presentation, introduction, accueil, greeting, recognition, welcome, abord|, respects, devoir, regards, remembrances, kind regards, kind remembrances, love, best love, duty, empty encomium, flattering remark, hollow commendation, salaams, obeisance, bow, courtesy, curtsy, scrape, salaam, kotow, kowtow, bowing and scraping, kneeling, genuflection, obsequiousness, capping, shaking hands, &c. v, grip of the hand, embrace, hug, squeeze, accolade, loving cup, vin d'honneur, pledge, love token, kiss, buss, salute, mark of recognition, nod, "nods and becks and wreathed smiles", valediction, condolence

V. be courteous, show courtesy, mind one's p's and q's, behave oneself, be all things to all men, conciliate, speak one fair, take in good part, make the amiable, do the amiable, look as if butter would not melt in one's mouth, mend one's manners, receive, do the honors, usher, greet, hail, bid welcome, welcome, welcome with open arms, shake hands, hold out the hand, press the hand, squeeze the hand, press the flesh, bid godspeed, speed the parting guest, cheer, serenade, salute, embrace, kiss, kiss hands, drink to, pledge, hob and nob, move to, nod to, smile upon, uncover, cap, touch the hat, take off the hat, doff the cap, present arms, make way for, bow, make one's bow, make a leg, scrape, curtsy, courtesy, bob a curtsy, bob a courtesy, kneel, bow the knee, bend the knee, visit, wait upon, present oneself, pay one's respects, pay a visit, dance attendance on, pay attentions to, do homage to, prostrate oneself, give one's duty to, send one's duty to, &c. n, render polite, polish, civilize, humanize

Adj. courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane, well-behaved, well- mannered, well-bred, well-brought up, good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated, refined, gentlemanlike, gallant, on one's good behavior, fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken, honey-mouthed, honey-tongued, oily, bland, obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent, obsequious, ingratiating, winning, gentle, mild, good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar, neighborly, diplomatic, tactful, politic, artful

Adv. courteously, with a good grace, with open arms, with outstretched arms, a bras ouverts, suaviter in modo, in good humor

Int. hail, welcome, well met, ave, all hail, good day, good morrow, godspeed, pax vobiscum, may your shadow never be less, phr, tien de plus estimable que la ceremonie, "the very pink of courtesy"

Duty Roget’s Thesaurus §926

N. duty, what ought to be done, moral obligation, accountableness, liability, onus, responsibility, bounden duty, imperative duty, call, call of duty, accountability, allegiance, fealty, tie engagement, part, function, calling, morality, morals, decalogue, case of conscience, conscientiousness, conscience, inward monitor, still small voice within, sense of duty, tender conscience, superego, the hell within, dueness, propriety, fitness, seemliness, amenability, decorum, τὸ πρέπον, the thing, the proper thing, the right thing to do, the proper thing to do, ethics, ethology, deontology, aretology, moral philosophy, ethical philosophy, casuistry, polity, observance, fulfillment, discharge, performance, acquittal, satisfaction, redemption, good behavior

V. be the duty of, be incumbent, on, be responsible, behoove, become, befit, beseem, belong to, pertain to, fall to one's lot, devolve on, lie upon, lie on one's head, lie at one's door, rest with, rest on the shoulders of, take upon oneself, be bound to, become bound to, be sponsor for, become sponsor for, incur a responsibility, be under an obligation, stand under an obligation, lie under an obligation, have to answer for, owe to it oneself, impose a duty, &c. n, enjoin, require, exact, bind, bind over, saddle with, prescribe, assign, call upon, look to, oblige, enter upon a duty, perform a duty, observe a duty, fulfill a duty, discharge a duty, adhere to a duty, acquit oneself of a duty, satisfy a duty, enter upon an obligation, perform an obligation, observe an obligation, fulfill an obligation, discharge an obligation, adhere to an obligation, acquit oneself of an obligation, satisfy an obligation, act one's part, redeem one's pledge, do justice to, be at one's post, do duty, do one's duty, be on one's good behavior, mind one's p's and q's

Adj. obligatory, binding, imperative, peremptory, stringent, behooving, incumbent on, chargeable on, under obligation, obliged by, bound by, tied by, saddled with, due to, beholden to, bound to, indebted to, tied down, compromised, in duty bound, amenable, liable, accountable, responsible, answerable, right, meet, moral, ethical, casuistical, conscientious, ethological

Adv. with a safe conscience, as in duty, bound, on one's own responsibility, at one's own risk, suo periculo, in foro conscientiae, quamdiu se bene gesserit

Phr. dura lex sed lex, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, honos habet onus, leve fit quod bene fertur onus, loyaute m'oblige, "simple duty bath no place for fear", "stern daughter of the voice of god", "there is a higher law than the constitution"

Respect Roget’s Thesaurus §928

N. respect, regard, consideration, courtesy, attention, deference, reverence, honor, esteem, estimation, veneration, admiration, approbation, homage, fealty, obeisance, genuflection, kneeling prostration, obsequiousness, salaam, kowtow, bow, presenting arms, salute, respects, regards, duty, devoirs, egards, devotion

V. respect, regard, revere, reverence, hold in reverence, honor, venerate, hallow, esteem, think much of, entertain respect for, bear respect for, look up to, defer to, have a high opinion of, hold a high opinion of, pay attention, pay respect, to, do honor to, render honor to, do the honors, hail, show courtesy, salute, present arms, do homage to, pay homage to, pay tribute to, kneel to, bow to, bend the knee to, fall down before, prostrate oneself, kiss the hem of one's garment, worship, keep one's distance, make room, observe due decorum, stand upon ceremony, command respect, inspire respect, awe, inspire awe, impose, overawe, dazzle

Adj. respecting, respectful, deferential, decorous, reverential, obsequious, ceremonious, bareheaded, cap in hand, on one's knees, prostrate, respected, in high esteem, in high estimation, time-honored, venerable, emeritus

Adv. in deference to, with all respect, with all due respect, with due respect, with the highest respect, with submission, saving your grace, saving your presence, salva sit reverentia, pace tanti nominis

Int. hail, all hail, esto perpetua, may your shadow never be less, phr, "and pluck up drowned honor by the locks", "his honor rooted in dishonor stood", "honor pricks me on"

Worship Roget’s Thesaurus §990

N. worship, adoration, devotion, aspiration, homage, service, humiliation, kneeling, genuflection, prostration, prayer, invocation, supplication, rogation, intercession, orison, holy breathing, petition, collect, litany, lord's prayer, paternoster, beadroll, latria, dulia, hyperdulia, vigils, revival, cult, anxious meeting, camp meeting, ebenezer, virginal, thanksgiving, giving thanks, returning thanks, grace, praise, glorification, benediction, doxology, hosanna, hallelujah, allelujah, te deum, non nobis domine, nunc dimittis, paean, benschen, ave maria, o salutaris, sanctus, the annunciation, tersanctus, trisagion, psalm, psalmody, hymn, plain song, chant, chaunt, response, anthem, motet, antiphon, antiphony, oblation, sacrifice, incense, libation, burnt offering, heave offering, votive offering, offertory, discipline, self-discipline, self-examination, self-denial, fasting, divine service, office, duty, exercises, morning prayer, mass, matins, evensong, vespers, undernsong, tierce, holyday, worshipper, congregation, communicant, celebrant

V. worship, lift up the heart, aspire, revere, adore, do service, pay homage, humble oneself, kneel, bow the knee, bend the knee, fall down, fall on one's knees, prostrate oneself, bow down and worship, pray, invoke, supplicate, put up, offer up prayers, offer petitions, beseech, say one's prayers, tell one's beads, return thanks, give thanks, say grace, bless, praise, laud, glorify, magnify, sing praises, give benediction, lead the choir, intone, deacon, deacon off propitiate, offer sacrifice, fast, deny oneself, vow, offer vows, give alms, work out one's salvation, go to church, attend service, attend mass, communicate

Adj. worshipping, devout, devotional, reverent, pure, solemn, fervid

Phr. "making their lives a prayer", ora et labora, "prayers ardent open heaven"

Int. hallelujah, allelujah, hosanna, glory be to god, o lord, pray god that, god grant, god bless, god save, god forbid, sursum corda

Rite Roget’s Thesaurus §998

N. rite, ceremony, ritual, liturgy, ceremonial, ordinance, observance, function, duty, form, formulary, solemnity, sacrament, incantation, service, psalmody, ministration, preaching, preachment, predication, sermon, homily, lecture, discourse, pastoral, baptism, christening, chrism, circumcision, baptismal regeneration, font, confirmation, imposition of hands, laying on of hands, ordination, excommunication, bar mitzvah, bas mitzvah, bris, eucharist, lord's supper, communion, the sacrament, the holy sacrament, celebration, high celebration, missa cantata, asperges, offertory, introit, consecration, consubstantiation, transubstantiation, real presence, elements, mass, high mass, low mass, dry mass, matrimony, burial, visitation of the sick, seven sacraments, impanation, subpanation, extreme unction, viaticum, invocation of saints, canonization, transfiguration, auricular confession, maceration, flagellation, sackcloth and ashes, penance, telling of beads, processional, thurification, incense, holy water, aspersion, relics, rosary, beads, reliquary, host, cross, rood, crucifix, pax, pyx, agnus dei, censer, thurible, patera, eileton, holy grail, prayer machine, prayer wheel, sangraal, urceus, ritualism, ceremonialism, sabbatism, sabbatarianism, ritualist, sabbatarian, holyday, feast, fast, sabbath, pentecost, advent, christmas, epiphany, lent, passion week, holy week, easter, easter sunday, whitsuntide, agape, ascension day, candlemas, ash wednesday, good friday, holy thursday, lammas, martinmas, michaelmas, all saint's day, all souls' day ramadan, ramazan, bairam &c, &c. passover, shabuoth, yom kippur, day of atonement, rosh hashana, new year, hanukkah, chanukkah, feast of lights, purim, feast of lots

V. perform service, do duty, minister, officiate, baptize, dip, sprinkle, anoint, confirm, lay hands on, give the sacrament, administer the sacrament, administer extreme unction, hear confession, administer holy penance, shrive, excommunicate, ban with bell book and candle, attend services, attend mass, go to mass, hear mass, take the sacrament, receive the sacrament, receive communion, attend the sacrament, partake of the sacrament, partake of communion, communicate, receive extreme unction, confess, go to confession, receive penance, anele, preach, sermonize, predicate, lecture

Adj. ritual, ritualistic, ceremonial, baptismal, eucharistical, paschal

Phr. "what art thou, thou idol ceremony?"

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

8 KJV and 23 BSB verses contain “duty” — showing the first 20. Show all 27 verses (searchable)

Genesis 38:8

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

Exodus 21:10

If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.

Numbers 4:31

And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,

This is the duty for all their service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases,

Deuteronomy 24:5

When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Deuteronomy 25:5

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.

When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.

Deuteronomy 25:7

And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.

But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.”

1 Kings 14:27

And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.

Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

2 Kings 11:5

And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;

and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,

2 Kings 11:7

And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.

the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king.

2 Kings 11:9

And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.

1 Chronicles 9:33

And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.

Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.

1 Chronicles 23:28

Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;

but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

1 Chronicles 27:1

Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand.

This is the list of the Israelites—the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter concerning the divisions on rotating military duty each month throughout the year. There were 24,000 men in each division:

2 Chronicles 8:14

And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God.

2 Chronicles 12:10

Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

2 Chronicles 23:4

This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;

This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,

2 Chronicles 23:8

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

Ezra 3:4

They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;

They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.

Ezra 4:13

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.

Ezra 4:20

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.