obligate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
obligates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obligated,
past participle, past
-
obligating
present participle
-
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.
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 conditions Compare facultative
an obligate parasite cannot live independently of its host
-
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
obligatornoun
-
preobligateverb (used with object)
-
reobligateverb (used with object)
-
obligableadjective
-
obligativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
obligatesimple
-
obligatessimple
-
have obligatedperfect
-
has obligatedperfect
-
am obligatingprogressive
-
are obligatingprogressive
-
is obligatingprogressive
-
have been obligatingperfect progressive
-
has been obligatingperfect progressive
Past
-
obligatedsimple
-
had obligatedperfect
-
was obligatingprogressive
-
were obligatingprogressive
-
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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Words: July 11–17, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Step from Heaven
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Just because someone contacted me didn’t obligate me to reply instantly.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
"Bifidobacterium is an obligate anaerobe, so it doesn't grow in the presence of oxygen," Mimee said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
Even if you are his legal next of kin, it does not obligate you to administer his estate or arrange the funeral.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“If additional funds are made available to State, we will work to obligate them consistent with legal requirements and Administration priorities.”
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Her resolve to attend here is, I am conceited enough to believe, more on account of my doing so than any wish to obligate you.
From The Triumph of Jill by F.E. Mills Young
The “covered call” strategy lowers the stock purchase price by the received call premium and obligates investors to sell stock higher.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
The pledge obligates actors, directors and producers not to screen films, appear in or work with what it considers complicit institutions, including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
These courts stuck with the rulebook, which obligates them to follow precedent until it’s formally overturned.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2025
And while she said her oath ethically obligates her to defend these children, she doesn’t know how the office will survive in its current form if payments don’t come in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
The second fault is that it obligates those who are circumcised to observe the whole Law.
From Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Theodore Graebner
In a democracy, voters are not obligated to follow the music indefinitely.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
“J.D., habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” he said.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
Addressing the vice president, El-Sayed said in his victory speech "you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Am I obligated to give the $40,000 back, even though my father called it a gift?
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
If it gets too late, I feel obligated to drop them off on my way home.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
"Gomez purported to sign a contract obligating her to perform and then ignored it," the lawsuit claims.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A “phase one” trade deal signed in early 2020 addressed neither of those points, instead obligating China to buy more soybeans from American farmers—something Beijing largely failed to fulfill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
If you recall the myth, you may be able to guess that he’s another loved one Dream condemns to suffering, obligating the supreme being to apologize yet again.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2025
“Accordingly, the Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2025
To dream of obligating yourself in any incident, denotes that you will be fretted and worried by the thoughtless complaints of others.
From Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, or what's in a dream: a scientific and practical exposition by Gustavus Hindman Miller
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
