obligation

[ ob-li-gey-shuhn ]

/ ˌɒb lɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR obligation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

something that is done or is to be done for such reasons: to fulfill one's obligations.

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

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

Law.

an agreement enforceable by law, originally applied to promises under seal.
a document containing such an agreement.
a bond containing a penalty, with a condition annexed for payment of money, performance of covenants, etc.

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

an indebtedness or amount of indebtedness.

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

a debt of gratitude: He felt an obligation to his teacher.

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

Nearby words

oblation, obligate, obligate aerobe, obligate anaerobe, obligate parasite, obligation, obligational, obligational authority, obligative, obligato, obligatory

Origin of obligation

1250–1300; Middle English obligacioun < Old French obligation < Latin obligātiōn- (stem of obligātiō) a binding, equivalent to obligāt(us) bound (see obligate) + -iōn- -ion

SYNONYMS FOR obligation

1 responsibility.

5 contract, covenant.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR obligation ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

pre·ob·li·ga·tion, nounre·ob·li·ga·tion, nounsu·per·ob·li·ga·tion, noun

Synonym study

1. See duty.

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

Examples from the Web for obligation

Obviously, the first obligation of all liberal democratic governments is to enforce the rule of law.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is the obligation of citizens and journalists as well as governments.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“It is our Islamic obligation to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State and give it our Islamic fealty,” he said.
ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits|Sami Yousafzai, Christopher Dickey|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he has always said we have an obligation to defend people in the region.
Rand Paul Declares War on ISIS—and Allows Boots on the Ground|Olivia Nuzzi|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Krauss says that ending religion is a matter of obligation, but I think our obligations are much different.
Why Are Millennials Unfriending Organized Religion?|Vlad Chituc|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has created neither the sense of obligation nor the determination of what is right or wrong in conduct.
Introduction to the History of Religions|Crawford Howell Toy
The obligation was mutual, that the host should give hospitality, and that the guest should not abuse it.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 8|Various
For love is held by a certainty of obligation, which because men are mischievous, is broken upon any occasion of their own profit.
Machiavelli, Volume I|Niccol Machiavelli
I never had any, and now there is nothing I could do which would quite wipe out the obligation I feel I am under to you, he said.
The Dust of Conflict|David Goodger (goodger@python.org)
Farewell, you have laid me under a load of obligation—not that I feel it a load.
The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, Volume II (of II)|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for obligation

obligation

/ (ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən) /

noun

a moral or legal requirement; duty

the act of obligating or the state of being obligated

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

law

a written contract containing a penalty
an instrument acknowledging indebtedness to secure the repayment of money borrowed

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

something owed in return for a service or favour

a service or favour for which one is indebted

Derived Forms

obligational, adjective

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