obligation

American  

[ob-li-gey-shuhn] / ˌɒb lɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

• obligations
  plural

1. something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.

   Synonyms:

   responsibility

2. something that is done or is to be done for such reasons.

   to fulfill one's obligations.

3. a binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc.

4. the act of binding or obliging oneself by a promise, contract, etc.

5. Law.

   1. an agreement enforceable by law, originally applied to promises under seal.

   2. a document containing such an agreement.

   3. a bond containing a penalty, with a condition annexed for payment of money, performance of covenants, etc.

   Synonyms:

   covenant, contract

6. any bond, note, bill, certificate, or the like, as of a government or a corporation, serving as evidence of indebtedness.

7. an indebtedness or amount of indebtedness.

8. a favor, service, or benefit for which gratitude is due.

9. a debt of gratitude.

   He felt an obligation to his teacher.

10. the state of being under a debt, as of gratitude, for a favor, service, or benefit.

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obligation British  

/ ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. a moral or legal requirement; duty

2. the act of obligating or the state of being obligated

3. law a legally enforceable agreement to perform some act, esp to pay money, for the benefit of another party

4. law

   1. a written contract containing a penalty

   2. an instrument acknowledging indebtedness to secure the repayment of money borrowed

5. a person or thing to which one is bound morally or legally

6. something owed in return for a service or favour

7. a service or favour for which one is indebted

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Synonym Usage

See duty.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preobligation
  noun
• reobligation
  noun
• superobligation
  noun
• obligational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obligations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of obligation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligation, from Latin obligātiōn-, stem of obligātiō “bond, engagement, pledge,” from obligāt(us) “bound” (past participle of obligāre; see obligate) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An obligation is a duty. It's your obligation or responsibility to call your mom on Mother's Day. Sending flowers would be even better. When you are morally or legally bound to a particular commitment, it's your obligation to follow through on it. If you see a crime taking place, for example, it's your obligation to notify the police. If an elderly person comes onto a full bus, it's your obligation to give up your seat for him. Sometimes when you enter a formal agreement with someone involving money, you might have to sign an obligation that states you are committed to paying back what you've borrowed.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obligation obligations

What is a loan deal with an obligation to buy?

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

But an institution that overrides a noisy signal has taken on an obligation to produce better ones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

“We all feel an obligation to give back,” Brooks said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

You should not be fueled by obligation or guilt.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

It is my obligation to provide a good life for them.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

Thatcher’s tough line worked — Beijing acknowledged its debt obligations and British bondholders got paid.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Walter’s conglomerate, TWG Global, has said the firm “always acted in good faith, and insinuations that we have in any way attempted to circumvent our obligations is simply false.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Being drafted, making it to the majors, winning championships, those were just dreams 20 years ago this month, when they both wandered into the communal activities room between All-American Classic obligations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

His lawyers told the court: "Constitutional and ethical obligations require the defence to investigate this development."

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Vincent's letter arrives at Etten on Saturday evening, and Pa leaves for The Hague on Monday morning, which is as soon as he can after his church obligations.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• accountability
• agreement
• bond
• burden
• commitment
• constraint
• contract
• debt
• duty
• liability
• necessity
• need
• promise
• requirement
• right
• trust
• understanding