obligated

[ob-li-gey-tid]

adjective

1. bound by law or regulation, moral principle, duty, etc.; obliged.

   My supervisors talked with me regularly about my ambitions and struggles, not because they felt obligated, but because they truly cared.

2. (of funds, property, etc.) pledged, committed, or bound, as to meet an obligation.

   If a parent is unable to pay the obligated amount, they are free to request the court to modify the child support order.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of obligate.

Other Word Forms

• nonobligated adjective
• quasi-obligated adjective
• unobligated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of obligated¹

First recorded in 1730–40; obligate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ); for the adjective senses; obligate ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Former spouses who no longer want to be parents could also find themselves obligated to pay child support, Cahn said.

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Catholics that a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year. found don’t attend weekly Mass, which we’re obligated to do.

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Another major issue, raised by a coalition of developing nations, concerns the financial support that wealthier countries are obligated to provide.

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“We felt obligated to provide more than the average internship,” said Jordan Hirsch, a senior counselor who works with Karp on special projects, including this program.

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The firm receives the cash up front and is obligated to deliver energy to the municipal utility company.

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Related Words

• compelled 
• duty-bound 
• enslaved 
• indebted 
• obliged