Duty vs Affair - What's the difference?
duty | affair | Related terms |
That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
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*1805 , 21 October,
*:England expects that every man will do his duty .
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*:Captain Edward Carlisle; 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.
*{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
, passage=Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.}}
*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Lexington
, title= A period of time spent at work or doing a particular task.
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Describing a workload as to its idle, working and de-energized periods.
A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff.
(lb) One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee.
*1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , (w) XX:
*:Take that which is thy duty , and goo thy waye.
(lb) Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.
*(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
*:my duty to you
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).
That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; — often in the plural.
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Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
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(lb) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
A material object (vaguely designated).
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*
*:The house was a big elaborate limestone affair , evidently new. Winter sunshine sparkled on lace-hung casement, on glass marquise, and the burnished bronze foliations of grille and door.
*{{quote-book, year=1944, author=(w)
, title= An adulterous relationship (from affaire de cœur ).
Duty is a related term of affair.
As an adjective duty
is hollow (having an empty space inside).As a noun affair is
that which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; — often in the plural.duty
English
Noun
(duties)Keeping the mighty honest, passage=British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far.}}
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) obligationAntonyms
* duty-free (taxes) * (that which one is obligated to do) rightDerived terms
* active duty * chimney-duty * civic duty * death duty * Delivered Duty Paid * Delivered Duty Unpaid * dutiable * dutiful * duty-bound * duty calls * duty cycle * duty of care * estate duty * excise duty * export duty * fatigue duty * fiduciary duty * filial duty * heavy-duty * import duty * jury duty * legal duty * light-duty * line of duty * neglect duty * on duty * off duty * point duty * sea duty/sea-duty * shore duty * stamp duty * succession duty * tonnage duty * tour of dutyStatistics
*External links
* * * 1000 English basic words ----affair
English
Noun
(en noun)The Three Corpse Trick, section=chapter 5 , passage=The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green.}}