different between duty vs activity

English

Etymology

From Middle English duete, from Middle English dewe) + Middle English -te, (borrowed from Old French -te from Latin -t?tem, accusative masculine singular of -t?s). Akin to due + -ty (Alternative form of -ity).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?dju?ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /du?ti/
• Rhymes: -u?ti
• Homophone: doody (for some speakers)

Noun

duty (countable and uncountable, plural duties)

1. That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
   • 1805, 21 October, Horatio Nelson

     England expects that every man will do his duty.

   • Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
2. The state of being at work and responsible for or doing a particular task.

3. A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff.

   customs duty; excise duty

4. (obsolete) One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew XX:

     Take that which is thy duty, and goo thy waye.

5. (obsolete) Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.
6. The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "duty": public, private, moral, legal, social, double, civic, contractual, political, judicial, etc.

Synonyms

• (that which one is obligated to do): obligation

Antonyms

• duty-free (taxes)
• (that which one is obligated to do): right

Derived terms

Related terms

• due

Translations

Further reading

• duty in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• duty in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• duty at OneLook Dictionary Search

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?dut?]

Participle

duty

1. past passive participle of du?

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle French activité, from Latin activitas. Equivalent to active +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æk?t?.v?.ti/, /æk?t?.v?.ti?/, /æk?t?.v?.ti/
• Rhymes: -?v?ti

Noun

activity (countable and uncountable, plural activities)

1. (uncountable) The state or quality of being active; activeness.

2. (countable) Something done as an action or a movement.

3. (countable) Something done for pleasure or entertainment, especially one involving movement or an excursion.

4. (grammar, semantics) The lexical aspect (aktionsart) of verbs or predicates that change over time and have no natural end point.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "activity": increased, decreased, high, low, volcanic, seismic, eruptive, intellectual, physical, mental, spiritual, muscular, cerebral, favorite, recreational, practical, cultural, artistic, literary, musical, political, diplomatic, military, domestic, voluntary, missionary, chemical, optical, productive, reproductive, industrial, commercial, etc.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:activity

Antonyms

• rest
• passivity

Derived terms

• activity book
• activity stream
• activity trap
• beehive of activity
• catalytic activity
• extravehicular activity
• hive of activity
• nonactivity
• optical activity
• overactivity
• radioactivity
• self-activity
• subactivity
• ultrahazardous activity
• underactivity
• zone of polarizing activity

Translations

Further reading

• activity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• activity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.