duties

IPA/ˈdjuː.ti/
KK[dˈutiz]IPA/ˈduː.t̬i/

duties — noun

1. the tasks or responsibilities that belong to a job, role, or situation and are e

1.nounB1
Definition

the tasks or responsibilities that belong to a job, role, or situation and are expected from you.

Example

Checking the safety doors was one of Sahil's morning duties at the museum.

one of someone's duties

Mira shared cooking duties with her brother during the school break.

share duties

Common collocations
  • official duties
  • household duties
  • front-desk duties
  • carry out duties
  • take over duties
  • share duties
Synonyms
  • responsibilities

    A broad word for things you are expected to handle or look after.

  • tasks

    Often smaller or more practical pieces of work, without the same sense of obligation.

  • obligations

    More formal and often stresses a moral or legal requirement.

Grammar Patterns

carry out duties

take over duties

share duties

official/household/front-desk duties

Usage Note

Usually plural when talking about the work or responsibilities connected with a job, a home, or another role. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about money charged on goods rather than tasks you must do.

Common Mistakes

My duty in the office are many.
My duties in the office are many.
Use the plural when you mean several tasks or responsibilities.

2. taxes that a government charges on goods brought into, or sometimes sent out of,

2.nounB2
Definition

taxes that a government charges on goods brought into, or sometimes sent out of, a country.

Example

The shop paid import duties on the coffee it bought from Brazil.

pay import duties on something

Customs duties made Soraya's new camera cost much more than expected.

customs duties

Common collocations
  • import duties
  • customs duties
  • pay duties on goods
  • high duties
Synonyms
  • tariffs

    Often used for official charges on imported goods, especially in trade policy.

  • customs charges

    A practical phrase for money collected by customs officials at the border.

  • levies

    A more formal word for taxes or charges imposed by an authority.

Grammar Patterns

pay duties on something

import/customs duties

Usage Note

Most often appears in phrases such as import duties or customs duties. In everyday English, duties usually refers to taxes connected with goods crossing a border, not ordinary local taxes.

Common Mistakes

The company paid duties for local sales.
The company paid duties on imported goods.
Duties usually refers to border taxes on goods, not ordinary sales tax inside one country.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe things you need to do, but they focus on different angles. 'Duties' usually means the regular work that belongs to a job or role, such as a nurse's night duties or a parent's daily duties at home. 'Responsibilities' is wider and can include areas you must manage, not only single jobs. 'Tasks' is more practical and often smaller in scale, with less sense of moral pressure. 'Obligations' is the most formal and often points to something required by a promise, a rule, or the law. You can say, 'Checking passports is one of her duties,' 'Staff safety is his responsibility,' 'Please finish these three tasks today,' and 'The contract created new obligations for both companies.'

duties ↗responsibilities ↗tasks ↗obligations ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

This plural form comes from duty, a word that entered English through Anglo-French from an older idea of something being due or owed. That history still fits the modern meanings: duties can be work that is owed because of your role, or money owed to the government on goods crossing a border.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective