obligate

[ verb ob-li-geyt; adjective ob-li-git, -geyt ]

/ verb ˈɒb lɪˌgeɪt; adjective ˈɒb lɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR obligate ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

necessary; essential.

Biology. restricted to a particular condition of life, as certain organisms that can survive only in the absence of oxygen: obligate anaerobe (opposed to facultative).

Nearby words

obl., oblanceolate, oblast, oblate, oblation, obligate, obligate aerobe, obligate anaerobe, obligate parasite, obligation, obligational

Origin of obligate

1400–50; late Middle English obligat (adj.) < Latin obligātus (past participle of obligāre to bind), equivalent to ob- ob- + ligātus; see ligate

Related forms

ob·li·ga·ble

[ob-li-guh-buh l] /ˈɒb lɪ gə bəl/, adjectiveob·li·ga·tor, nounnon·ob·li·gat·ed, adjectivepre·ob·li·gate, verb (used with object), pre·ob·li·gat·ed, pre·ob·li·gat·ing.

qua·si-ob·li·gat·ed, adjectivere·ob·li·gate, verb (used with object), re·ob·li·gat·ed, re·ob·li·gat·ing.un·ob·li·gat·ed, adjective

Can be confused

obligate oblige

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for obligated

Starting in 1966, Korean movie theaters were obligated to show at least six domestic films for more than 90 days.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The Palestinians under Oslo are obligated to do everything they can,” he said.
Israeli Intel Chief: Hamas Is Just Like ISIS|Eli Lake|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“But he was not obligated to do that by the resolution itself,” McFaul said.
Russia’s Ace in the Hole: a Super-Missile It Can Sell to Iran|Eli Lake|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the agency is obligated under the law to inquire about an applicant's activities.
IRS Deems Pro-Israel Group ‘Touch and Go’|Sarah Posner|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST

There simply is not enough city there to finance the payments they are obligated to pay.
Saving Detroit: When a Big City Stops Being Big|Megan McArdle|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Now, to my notion, a man should do suthin' for his land, and not be obligated for it to mere natur'.
The Chainbearer|J. Fenimore Cooper
And if workmen had been employed thereon, the bailor would also be obligated to pay for their labor.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
And think of me, miss: took into service for my voice, and obligated to holler at your pa all day long.
None so Deaf as Those Who Won't Hear|Herbert Pelham Curtis
This warrior is obligated usually to lead out a number of armed villeins, proportionate to the number of knights.
Life on a Mediaeval Barony|William Stearns Davis
Often to the blast we were obligated to turn our backs, and, the rain being in our faces, we little heeded each other.
Ringan Gilhaize|John Galt

British Dictionary definitions for obligated

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

obligable, adjectiveobligative, adjectiveobligator, noun

Word 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

Medicine definitions for obligated

obligate

[ ŏb′lĭ-gĭt, -gāt′ ]

adj.

Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role.

Science definitions for obligated

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.