obligate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
obligates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obligated,
past participle, past
-
obligating
present participle
-
to bind or oblige morally or legally.
to obligate oneself to purchase a building.
-
to pledge, commit, or bind (funds, property, etc.) to meet an obligation.
adjective
-
morally or legally bound; obliged; constrained.
-
Biology. restricted to a particular condition of life, as certain organisms that can survive only in the absence of oxygen (opposed to facultative).
obligate anaerobe.
verb
-
to compel, constrain, or oblige morally or legally
-
(in the US) to bind (property, funds, etc) as security
adjective
-
compelled, bound, or restricted
-
biology able to exist under only one set of environmental conditions Compare facultative
an obligate parasite cannot live independently of its host
-
Capable of existing only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role. An obligate aerobe, such as certain bacteria, can live only in the presence of oxygen. An obligate parasite cannot survive independently of its host.
-
Compare facultative
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
obligatornoun
-
preobligateverb (used with object)
-
reobligateverb (used with object)
-
obligableadjective
-
obligativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
obligatesimple
-
obligatessimple
-
have obligatedperfect
-
has obligatedperfect
-
am obligatingprogressive
-
are obligatingprogressive
-
is obligatingprogressive
-
have been obligatingperfect progressive
-
has been obligatingperfect progressive
Past
-
obligatedsimple
-
had obligatedperfect
-
was obligatingprogressive
-
were obligatingprogressive
-
had been obligatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of obligate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English obligat, from Latin obligātus (past participle of obligāre “to bind”), equivalent to ob- + ligātus; see ob-, ligate
Explanation
To obligate is to either force someone to do something or be compelled to do something. You’re obligated to get to work on time if you want to keep your job. Obligating has to do with responsibilities. When you have a job, you're obligated to show up and do your work. You could also say the job obligates you to do these things. Obligate, which is about obligations (duties), can be used another way – to commit as security. Money would be obligated, or put up as security. Obligate is not the same thing as oblige, which is like doing a favor. To obligate is meaner, it means “to force.”
Vocabulary lists containing obligate
Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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!
This Week In Words: July 11–17, 2020
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!
A Step from Heaven
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:
Just because someone contacted me didn’t obligate me to reply instantly.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
"Bifidobacterium is an obligate anaerobe, so it doesn't grow in the presence of oxygen," Mimee said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
Remember, having power of attorney for your mother-in-law does not obligate you to act as executor.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
“If additional funds are made available to State, we will work to obligate them consistent with legal requirements and Administration priorities.”
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Mrs. Harrington's idea is, and I think rightly, that a conscientious woman would feel the marriage tie, however nominal, a bond that would obligate her to a certain duty toward her husband.
From The Rose-Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer
"One of the foundations of democracy is the ability to have a peaceful transfer of power. This stems from the understanding that the will of the electorate obligates us all."
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The “covered call” strategy lowers the stock purchase price by the received call premium and obligates investors to sell stock higher.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon’s organization, HateAid, receives funding from the German government, which has certified it as a “trusted flagger,” which obligates platforms to give priority to its reports of forbidden speech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
These courts stuck with the rulebook, which obligates them to follow precedent until it’s formally overturned.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2025
It obligates the parties to marry within thirty days from the date on which either demands marriage.
From Marriage and Divorce Laws of the World by Hyacinthe Ringrose
For Roumie, he felt obligated to play not just the emotional side of Jesus during this chapter but also the physical.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
“J.D., habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” he said.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
Addressing the vice president, El-Sayed said in his victory speech "you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
And don’t feel obligated to make three if two — or one — make more sense for your budget, available burners or energy.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Buyer is obligated to make all payments hereunder.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
"Gomez purported to sign a contract obligating her to perform and then ignored it," the lawsuit claims.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A “phase one” trade deal signed in early 2020 addressed neither of those points, instead obligating China to buy more soybeans from American farmers—something Beijing largely failed to fulfill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
If you recall the myth, you may be able to guess that he’s another loved one Dream condemns to suffering, obligating the supreme being to apologize yet again.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2025
It went on to say that state law gives top priority to lawsuits against a city’s general plan, obligating the court to hold a hearing within 120 days if requested.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
I then asked her to give me one commandment in the Bible obligating her to christen her child.
From The Gospel Day Or, the Light of Christianity by Charles Ebert Orr
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.
