dutiful
adjective
du·ti·ful
ˈdü-ti-fəl 
also ˈdyü-
1
: filled with or motivated by a sense of duty
a dutiful child
2
: proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty
a dutiful effort
Examples of dutiful in a Sentence
the dutiful way he took care of his sick mother
the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner
Recent Examples on the Web
Americans are accustomed to showing wide deference to senior military leaders, treating them as dutiful public servants rather than possible enablers of presidential lawlessness.
—
Jon Duffy,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Mercifully, a dutiful crab and a dim-witted seagull can pick up the slack.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
The two are still polar opposites; Sally is a dutiful mother who bakes beautiful cakes and avoids men while Gillian is all about finding literal Chads on Tinder.
—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2026
Furthermore, every wager is carefully tracked by these providers, meaning that the taxing authorities can be even more dutiful in ensuring that taxpayers are paying their fair share in income taxes on sports betting activities.
—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
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Jon Duffy,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Mercifully, a dutiful crab and a dim-witted seagull can pick up the slack.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
The two are still polar opposites; Sally is a dutiful mother who bakes beautiful cakes and avoids men while Gillian is all about finding literal Chads on Tinder.
—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2026
Furthermore, every wager is carefully tracked by these providers, meaning that the taxing authorities can be even more dutiful in ensuring that taxpayers are paying their fair share in income taxes on sports betting activities.
—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dutiful. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dutiful
adjective
du·ti·ful
ˈd(y)üt-i-fəl
: having or showing a sense of duty
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