adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D UW1 T IY0 F AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Accepting of one's legal or moral obligations and willing to do them well, and without complaint.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Ralph was a dutiful child, and took the trash out without being told.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Pertaining to one's duty; demonstrative of one's sense of duty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
willingly obedient out of a sense of duty and respect;
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a dutiful child
a dutiful citizen
Patient Griselda was a chaste and duteous wife
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: duteous
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From duty + -ful.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Danish:
pligttro
— accepting of one's obligations
Danish:
pligtopfyldende
— accepting of one's obligations
Dutch:
plichtsgetrouwe
— accepting of one's obligations
French:
dévoué
— accepting of one's obligations
German:
pflichtbewusst
— accepting of one's obligations
German:
pflichtgetreu
— accepting of one's obligations
Hebrew:
הַצַּיְתָנִית
(hatsaytanít)
— accepting of one's obligations
Hungarian:
kötelességtudó
— accepting of one's obligations
Latin:
pius
— accepting of one's obligations
Polish:
odpowiedzialny
— accepting of one's obligations
Portuguese:
obediente
— accepting of one's obligations
Portuguese:
submisso
— accepting of one's obligations
Romanian:
îndatoritoare
— accepting of one's obligations
Russian:
послу́шный
(poslúšnyj)
— accepting of one's obligations
Spanish:
obediente
— accepting of one's obligations
Swedish:
plikttrogen
— accepting of one's obligations
Swedish:
pliktmedveten
— accepting of one's obligations
Turkish:
ödevcil
— accepting of one's obligations
Turkish:
vazifeşinas
— accepting of one's obligations
