oblige
Americanverb (used with object)
-
obliges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obliged,
past participle, past
-
obliging
present participle
-
to require or constrain, as by law, command, conscience, or force of necessity.
-
to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.
- Synonyms:
- obligate
-
to place under a debt of gratitude for some benefit, favor, or service.
I'm much obliged for the ride.
-
to put (one) in a debt of gratitude, as by a favor or accommodation.
Mr. Weems will oblige us with a song.
-
to make (an action, policy, etc.) necessary or obligatory.
Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
verb (used without object)
-
obliges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obliged,
past participle, past
-
obliging
present participle
verb
-
(tr; often passive) to bind or constrain (someone to do something) by legal, moral, or physical means
-
(tr; usually passive) to make indebted or grateful (to someone) by doing a favour or service
we are obliged to you for dinner
-
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
-
obligesimple
-
obligessimple
-
have obligedperfect
-
has obligedperfect
-
am obligingprogressive
-
are obligingprogressive
-
is obligingprogressive
-
have been obligingperfect progressive
-
has been obligingperfect progressive
Past
-
obligedsimple
-
had obligedperfect
-
was obligingprogressive
-
were obligingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
They seemed happy to oblige, apparently assured that they’d be cut in on whatever deal the U.S. had in mind.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
"Content farms and internet trolls are happy to oblige them."
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Members of the general public ask for them, including for their children, and doctors happily oblige, says Mir.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 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
It is a reminder that the 1954 Hague Convention obliges warring parties to protect cultural property.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
Content creators are "contractually bound" to brands, which obliges them to keep posting no matter what, according to the journalist.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
After competitions, Gu is the one every media outlet wants to speak to, and she gracefully and politely obliges as she slowly shuffles through the mixed zone.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
These scholars present science as being about rhetoric, persuasion and authority because the symmetry principle obliges them to assume that that is all it can be about.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Perhaps these international festivals are testing their own waters to see if they’re obliged to invite Americans to their party.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Its golfers, including star names like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, can now opt to leave, rather than being obliged to see out their contracts in LIV 2.0 which is aiming to launch next year.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Sullivan obliged, allowing Reddington one hour to file his appeal, but it ultimately failed with the state supreme court quickly holding a hearing and denying the application for an emergency stay.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Desperate to avoid secession, Fillmore obliged, sending Marines and federal officers to southeastern Pennsylvania.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Why, to be sure,” said Mr. Woodhouse—“yes, certainly—I cannot deny that Mrs. Weston, poor Mrs. Weston, does come and see us pretty often—but then—she is always obliged to go away again.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Brazil has in recent months sought to boost protections for children online, obliging platforms to link the accounts of users under age 16 to their parents' accounts, and verify user age.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 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
America’s military is, in short, well-prepared to fight a major conventional war against an obliging enemy like Iraq in 1991, but such a scenario is unlikely to lie in our future.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2025
The footpaths we followed spent a lot of time in the woods but also emerged at obliging intervals to take us along sunny back roads and over stiles and through farm fields and hamlets.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
