obligate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bind or oblige morally or legally.
to obligate oneself to purchase a building.
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to pledge, commit, or bind (funds, property, etc.) to meet an obligation.
adjective
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morally or legally bound; obliged; constrained.
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Biology. restricted to a particular condition of life, as certain organisms that can survive only in the absence of oxygen (facultative ).
obligate anaerobe.
verb
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to compel, constrain, or oblige morally or legally
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(in the US) to bind (property, funds, etc) as security
adjective
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compelled, bound, or restricted
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biology able to exist under only one set of environmental conditions Compare facultative
an obligate parasite cannot live independently of its host
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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.
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Compare facultative
Other Word Forms
- obligable adjective
- obligative adjective
- obligator noun
- preobligate verb (used with object)
- reobligate verb (used with object)
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; ob-, ligate
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.
He said he loved her but felt obligated to keep his parents, and the wider public, in the dark until she was properly educated, and he had returned from the Arctic in triumph.
From Literature
Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is obligated to provide weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.
Under the agreement with CoreWeave, the firm is obligated to provide $500 million in bridge financing through the end of March, “and that commitment remains fully in place,” it said.
From Barron's
The doctor is obligated to honor Evans’ desires.
From Salon
He looked so miserable that Jonah felt obligated to cheer him up.
From Literature
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.
