obligate
[ verb ob-li-geyt; adjective ob-li-git, -geyt ]
/ verb ˈɒb lɪˌgeɪt; adjective ˈɒb lɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /
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verb (used with object), ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing.
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.
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Origin of obligate
OTHER WORDS FROM obligate
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH obligate
obligate , obligeDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for obligate
British Dictionary definitions for obligate
obligate
/ (ˈɒblɪˌɡeɪt) /
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 conditionsan obligate parasite cannot live independently of its host Compare facultative (def. 4)
Derived forms of obligate
obligable, adjectiveobligative, adjectiveobligator, nounWord Origin for obligate
C16: from Latin obligāre to oblige
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for obligate
obligate
[ ŏb′lĭ-gĭt, -gāt′ ]
adj.
Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for obligate
obligate
[ ŏb′lĭ-gĭt, -gāt′ ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.