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 (opposed to 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
Derived Forms
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obligatornoun
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preobligateverb (used with object)
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reobligateverb (used with object)
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obligableadjective
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obligativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obligatesimple
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obligatessimple
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have obligatedperfect
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has obligatedperfect
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am obligatingprogressive
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are obligatingprogressive
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is obligatingprogressive
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have been obligatingperfect progressive
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has been obligatingperfect progressive
Past
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obligatedsimple
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had obligatedperfect
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was obligatingprogressive
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were obligatingprogressive
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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)
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This Week In Words: July 11–17, 2020
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A Step from Heaven
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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.
“We are currently planning to obligate all appropriated balances, consistent with law.”
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026
In a chapter cleverly titled “Keep Calm and Carrion,” she explains that obligate scavengers—animals that feed on dead matter—are “nature’s clean-up crew,” performing one of the most vital roles on the planet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The risk: Intel builds upon its extraordinary gains and keeps rising, which would obligate investors to sell the stock, or to manage the short call to avoid assignment.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Brennan & Rogers, a Maine-based law firm, says those laws obligate adult children to provide necessities such as food, clothing, housing and medical care for their parents who can’t afford to take care of themselves.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
This will not obligate you at all, but for the sake of your future health and happiness, do not put it off.
From Astounding Stories of Super-Science February 1930 by Bates, Harry
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.
