# legal duty

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/legal-duty
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.

## Examples

- You have a legal duty to pay your taxes on time.
- The contract clearly outlines your legal duty to maintain the property in good condition throughout the lease.
- As a corporate director, she understood that her legal duty to the shareholders required her to act with complete transparency and care.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.