Definition

Noun: A motivating awareness of ethical responsibility; a feeling of moral obligation to do something or to act in a certain way because it is considered right or one's responsibility.

Usage

This noun phrase describes an internal feeling that compels a person to act based on what they believe is morally correct or required by their role or position. It is often used to explain why someone performs a difficult or unpleasant task.

Examples

• She visited her elderly neighbor every day out of a sense of duty.
• The soldier felt a strong sense of duty to his country.
• He completed the tedious paperwork not because he wanted to, but from a sense of duty.

Advanced Usage

• A profound/deep/strong sense of duty: Used to emphasize the intensity of the feeling.
  • The captain was guided by a profound sense of duty to his crew.
• A sense of duty to/towards someone or something: Specifies the object of the obligation.
  • Parents often feel a sense of duty towards their children's future.
• Do something out of/from a sense of duty: A common collocation describing the motivation for an action.
  • She made the donation out of a sense of duty, not for recognition.

Variants and Related Words

• Duty (n): A moral or legal obligation; a task or action one is required to perform.
  • It is your duty to report the accident.
• Sense of obligation (n): A very similar phrase, sometimes used interchangeably, though "obligation" can imply a more external or formal constraint.
• Conscientiousness (n): The quality of wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

Synonyms

• Conscience
• Moral obligation
• Sense of responsibility

Idioms and Related Phrases

• A call of duty: Often used, especially in military or service contexts, to describe a compelling sense that one must act.
  • He felt it was his call of duty to volunteer.
• To be duty-bound: To be obliged or required by duty.
  • As a doctor, she felt duty-bound to help.

Noun

1. a motivating awareness of ethical responsibility