obligation

American  

[ob-li-gay-shuhn] / ˌɒb lɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

• obligations
  plural

1. 

   something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.

   Synonyms:

   responsibility

2. something that is done or is to be done for such reasons.

   to fulfill one's obligations.

3. a binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc.

4. the act of binding or obliging oneself by a promise, contract, etc.

5. Law.

   1. an agreement enforceable by law, originally applied to promises under seal.

   2. a document containing such an agreement.

   3. a bond containing a penalty, with a condition annexed for payment of money, performance of covenants, etc.

   Synonyms:

   covenant, contract

6. any bond, note, bill, certificate, or the like, as of a government or a corporation, serving as evidence of indebtedness.

7. an indebtedness or amount of indebtedness.

8. a favor, service, or benefit for which gratitude is due.

9. a debt of gratitude.

   He felt an obligation to his teacher.

10. the state of being under a debt, as of gratitude, for a favor, service, or benefit.

---

obligation British  

/ ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. a moral or legal requirement; duty

2. the act of obligating or the state of being obligated

3. law a legally enforceable agreement to perform some act, esp to pay money, for the benefit of another party

4. law

   1. a written contract containing a penalty

   2. an instrument acknowledging indebtedness to secure the repayment of money borrowed

5. a person or thing to which one is bound morally or legally

6. something owed in return for a service or favour

7. a service or favour for which one is indebted

---

Synonym Usage

See duty.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preobligation
  noun
• reobligation
  noun
• superobligation
  noun
• obligational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obligations
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of obligation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligation, from Latin obligātiōn-, stem of obligātiō “bond, engagement, pledge,” from obligāt(us) “bound” (past participle of obligāre; see obligate) + -iō -ion

---

Explanation

An obligation is a duty. It's your obligation or responsibility to call your mom on Mother's Day. Sending flowers would be even better. When you are morally or legally bound to a particular commitment, it's your obligation to follow through on it. If you see a crime taking place, for example, it's your obligation to notify the police. If an elderly person comes onto a full bus, it's your obligation to give up your seat for him. Sometimes when you enter a formal agreement with someone involving money, you might have to sign an obligation that states you are committed to paying back what you've borrowed.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obligation obligations

He planned to quickly repay the six-figure obligation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

While the firm’s credit arm is facing pressure, about one third of its assets under management are held in collateralized loan obligation funds, which people familiar with the matter said are still performing well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Employers in the UK are currently allowed to ask you how much you get paid in your current role, but applicants are under no obligation to tell them.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

And I also felt this solemn obligation to make this film funny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

I’m not sure if his is out of obligation.

From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

Olsen and his traders are closely scrutinizing the creditworthiness of those they cut deals with, and the likelihood that they might default on their obligations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

In France, Binance is suspected of having failed to meet its obligations regarding the oversight of client funds.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

ServiceNow expects current remaining performance obligations to grow 18.5% in the fourth quarter, down 2 percentage points from the third quarter.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

We want the intimacy of a home without necessarily inheriting all the obligations of maintaining one.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

Not only is status not inherited; no member of a traditional tribe or band can become disproportionately wealthy by his or her own efforts, because each individual has debts and obligations to many others.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• accountability
• agreement
• bond
• burden
• commitment
• constraint
• contract
• debt
• duty
• liability
• necessity
• need
• promise
• requirement
• right
• trust
• understanding

---