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 looked so miserable that Jonah felt obligated to cheer him up.
From Literature
Thus, morning anchors aren’t obligated to adhere to the neutral comportment we expect of their evening news counterparts.
From Salon
Paramount said it would reimburse shareholders for the fee, without reducing the separate $5.8 billion reverse termination fee Netflix is obligated to pay Warner if it walks away from the deal.
On Aug. 25, he emailed Gates, Cohen and Nikolic saying “I fear that another face to face will be needed before closing,” and pressed regarding the financial logistics: “who pays, ? who is obligated.?”
Only $21 million under those contracts was actually obligated to IonQ, according to records in the government’s Federal Procurement Data System.
From Barron's
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.
