in the line of duty en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) As part of or while performing official duties, usually of the military or police personnel, or of government officials.
Quinn's friends repeat the mantra that Officer Galluzzo was just doing his job, the implication being that mistakes made in the line of duty should be forgiven.
2015 December 18, Kekla Magoon, “Review of All American Boy by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely”, in New York Times, retrieved 20 Mar 2018:Last year 88 other U.S. policemen were killed in the line of duty.
1965 September 10, “Helping the Widows”, in Time, retrieved 20 Mar 2018:"I'd hate to have the Inspector send in a report to headquarters, 'Constable Beresford missing in the line of duty.'"
1922, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 35, in Man Size:
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, the, line, of, duty.
Translations (5)
fi palveluksessa (as part of or while performing official duties) · uk при викона́нні службо́вих обо́в'язків (as part of or while performing official duties) · pl na służbie (as part of or while performing official duties) · ru при исполне́нии служе́бных обя́занностей (as part of or while performing official duties) · fr dans l'exercice de ses fonctions (as part of or while performing official duties)