duty

A duty is an obligation to act based on law, custom, ethics, or personal commitment. Breaching a legal duty may give rise to a claim if it violates another person’s rights. Some examples are: fiduciary duty, duty of good faith, duty of care, and duty of loyalty. Some duties, like those held by public officials, may not create enforceable rights. 

The term duty also refers to a tax on imported goods.

[Last reviewed in July of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team] 

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