Something you are expected or required to do, especially because of a job, law, or moral rule.
From Old French 'deu' meaning 'owed', from Latin 'debitus' (also 'owed'). The word shifted from meaning what is owed in money to what is owed in actions or behavior.
Duty started as an idea about debt—what you owe—and then turned into what you 'owe' in behavior. Taxes at the border are still called 'duties', a reminder of its money-owing roots.
“Duty” has been used to enforce gendered roles: men’s duty framed as public service or military defense, and women’s duty as domestic care and obedience. These narratives have justified unequal expectations and limited choices for both.
When using “duty,” be explicit about whose duty and under what conditions, and avoid assuming gendered roles (e.g., caregiving as women’s duty or breadwinning as men’s duty). Emphasize consent, fairness, and shared responsibility.
["responsibility","obligation","role","commitment"]
In historical or institutional contexts, highlight how women and marginalized groups carried out extensive duties without formal recognition, pay, or power, and how they organized to redefine or resist imposed duties.
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