oblige
Americanverb (used with object)
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to require or constrain, as by law, command, conscience, or force of necessity.
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to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.
- Synonyms:
- obligate
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to place under a debt of gratitude for some benefit, favor, or service.
I'm much obliged for the ride.
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to put (one) in a debt of gratitude, as by a favor or accommodation.
Mr. Weems will oblige us with a song.
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to make (an action, policy, etc.) necessary or obligatory.
Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr; often passive) to bind or constrain (someone to do something) by legal, moral, or physical means
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(tr; usually passive) to make indebted or grateful (to someone) by doing a favour or service
we are obliged to you for dinner
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to do a service or favour to (someone)
she obliged the guest with a song
Usage
What does oblige mean? Oblige commonly means to politely do something for someone, as in He’s the kind of person who’s happy to oblige no matter what the request is. Someone who is accommodating in this way can be described as obliging. This sense of the word is sometimes used in a somewhat ironic way that likens a negative reaction to a polite one, as in He rudely told me to step aside and let him pass, and I was happy to oblige since I was standing in front of a huge mud puddle. Oblige also commonly means to require, compel, or constrain. This can imply a moral sense of duty or one based on conscience, as in It is her sense of duty that obliges her to make this sacrifice. Or it can imply an official or legal requirement, as in The contract obliges us to perform three nights a week. This sense of oblige is perhaps most often used in passive constructions, as in By contract, we are obliged to perform three nights a week. The similar verb obligate can be used to mean the same thing. The related noun obligation refers to a responsibility or duty that is required of someone. In other words, an obligation is something you are obliged or obligated to do. Something that’s required in such a way can be described with the related adjective obligatory. Sometimes, oblige means to put one in a debt of gratitude, such as for some favor or service. This sense of the word is especially used in the phrase much obliged, which can be used by itself as another way of saying thank you or in a sentence, as in We’re much obliged for all your hospitality. Example: There is no requirement that obliges us to help those who are less fortunate—but we should do it out of a moral obligation.
Synonym Usage
Oblige, accommodate imply making a gracious and welcome gesture of some kind. Oblige emphasizes the idea of conferring a favor or benefit (and often of taking some trouble to do it): to oblige someone with a loan. Accommodate emphasizes doing a service or furnishing a convenience: to accommodate someone with lodgings and meals.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obligesimple
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obligessimple
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have obligedperfect
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has obligedperfect
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am obligingprogressive
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are obligingprogressive
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is obligingprogressive
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have been obligingperfect progressive
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has been obligingperfect progressive
Past
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obligedsimple
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had obligedperfect
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was obligingprogressive
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were obligingprogressive
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had been obligingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oblige
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligāre “to bind”; see obligate
Explanation
To oblige is to do something you have to, because you're bound by either good manners or the law. You are obliged to pay back your student loans, or for your portion of the dinner bill. You may also feel obliged to bring a gift if you're invited to a wedding. You can also tip your cowboy hat and be "much obliged" if someone does you a favor. The French phrase, noblesse oblige means basically that "privilege entails responsibility," or that the wealthy are obliged to do something productive in the world and not just sit around polishing their silver spoons.
Vocabulary lists containing oblige
List 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The seller, from Western Colorado, was happy to oblige my “provenance” question, as if I were inquiring about an antique Cartier watch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
“Listing agents are also culprits in this pattern, as they want to work with the celebrity and oblige their unrealistic expectations,” he explains.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
"It was not an alliance that was designed for one of the allies to go on a war of choice and then oblige everybody else to follow," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Galleries are also closing and downsizing, and films that don’t oblige the content farm aren’t solicited as readily as influencer-helmed or easily digestible projects that can be played as background noise for scrolling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
Remote cousins and family friends whom mere acquaintanceship invested with a sort of blood obligation noblesse oblige.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
Ofcom said it decided to start investigating X to determine whether the company has failed to comply with the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which obliges platforms to better safeguard users from illegal content online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
The law also obliges the mayor -- or any other applicants -- to compile various financial documents and carry out reforms within six months or face a two-year prison sentence.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
Known as the mandatory reimbursement requirement it obliges banks to refund most victims of push payment fraud - when victims are tricked and manipulated into transferring money to criminals themselves.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
Each time he obliges them and kisses his bride tamely on the cheek.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
That’s when England needed someone to bail them out—and Bellingham duly obliged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
He obliged late in the fourth quarter Sunday, forcing a turnover that allowed guard Chris Mañon to breakaway for the tying layup with 28 seconds left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Companies based in North America and Europe are obliged under sanctions rules to ensure that no aircraft or aircraft parts are exported to Russia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
It plans to apply the cap retrospectively from 25 March once legislation to create the cap has passed Parliament, with parties obliged to return any money over the limit received after this date.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
He motioned for Wanda to hand him back the folders that sat next to her and she obliged.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
The ETS forces heavy polluters to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit, obliging them to buy allowances that are capped in number, sold in auctions and tradable.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Promoters are keen to expand and capture new market share, often reflected in artist contracts obliging the latter to tour in certain geographies, Europe being one of them,” the Bernstein analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
When Rana’s curiosity leads her far from home, she must call on her memory of her mother’s stories and, with the help of an obliging polar bear, find her own way back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
In the match against an admittedly obliging Falkirk, Celtic scored four times in 90 minutes having scored only 12 in the 810 league minutes that went before.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
He graduated to the tail of the family mule, and eventually, hanging off the tail of an obliging horse named Paint, he began to run, a gait that initially caused him excruciating pain.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
