oblige
Americanverb (used with object)
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obliges,
present (3rd person singular)
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obliged,
past participle, past
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obliging
present participle
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to require or constrain, as by law, command, conscience, or force of necessity.
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to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.
- Synonyms:
- obligate
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to place under a debt of gratitude for some benefit, favor, or service.
I'm much obliged for the ride.
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to put (one) in a debt of gratitude, as by a favor or accommodation.
Mr. Weems will oblige us with a song.
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to make (an action, policy, etc.) necessary or obligatory.
Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
verb (used without object)
-
obliges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obliged,
past participle, past
-
obliging
present participle
verb
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(tr; often passive) to bind or constrain (someone to do something) by legal, moral, or physical means
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(tr; usually passive) to make indebted or grateful (to someone) by doing a favour or service
we are obliged to you for dinner
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to do a service or favour to (someone)
she obliged the guest with a song
Usage
What does oblige mean? Oblige commonly means to politely do something for someone, as in He’s the kind of person who’s happy to oblige no matter what the request is. Someone who is accommodating in this way can be described as obliging. This sense of the word is sometimes used in a somewhat ironic way that likens a negative reaction to a polite one, as in He rudely told me to step aside and let him pass, and I was happy to oblige since I was standing in front of a huge mud puddle. Oblige also commonly means to require, compel, or constrain. This can imply a moral sense of duty or one based on conscience, as in It is her sense of duty that obliges her to make this sacrifice. Or it can imply an official or legal requirement, as in The contract obliges us to perform three nights a week. This sense of oblige is perhaps most often used in passive constructions, as in By contract, we are obliged to perform three nights a week. The similar verb obligate can be used to mean the same thing. The related noun obligation refers to a responsibility or duty that is required of someone. In other words, an obligation is something you are obliged or obligated to do. Something that’s required in such a way can be described with the related adjective obligatory. Sometimes, oblige means to put one in a debt of gratitude, such as for some favor or service. This sense of the word is especially used in the phrase much obliged, which can be used by itself as another way of saying thank you or in a sentence, as in We’re much obliged for all your hospitality. Example: There is no requirement that obliges us to help those who are less fortunate—but we should do it out of a moral obligation.
Synonym Usage
Oblige, accommodate imply making a gracious and welcome gesture of some kind. Oblige emphasizes the idea of conferring a favor or benefit (and often of taking some trouble to do it): to oblige someone with a loan. Accommodate emphasizes doing a service or furnishing a convenience: to accommodate someone with lodgings and meals.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obligesimple
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obligessimple
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have obligedperfect
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has obligedperfect
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am obligingprogressive
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are obligingprogressive
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is obligingprogressive
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have been obligingperfect progressive
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has been obligingperfect progressive
Past
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obligedsimple
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had obligedperfect
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was obligingprogressive
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were obligingprogressive
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had been obligingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oblige
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligāre “to bind”; see obligate
Explanation
To oblige is to do something you have to, because you're bound by either good manners or the law. You are obliged to pay back your student loans, or for your portion of the dinner bill. You may also feel obliged to bring a gift if you're invited to a wedding. You can also tip your cowboy hat and be "much obliged" if someone does you a favor. The French phrase, noblesse oblige means basically that "privilege entails responsibility," or that the wealthy are obliged to do something productive in the world and not just sit around polishing their silver spoons.
Vocabulary lists containing oblige
List 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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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:
It was something of an obsession, a harmless one, and we were happy to oblige.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
The offer is voluntary, but Frasers noted that it held a significant number of options on Hugo Boss shares that would put its stake above 30 percent and oblige it to make a buyout offer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
“Listing agents are also culprits in this pattern, as they want to work with the celebrity and oblige their unrealistic expectations,” he explains.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Members of the general public ask for them, including for their children, and doctors happily oblige, says Mir.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Benji kept his phone aimed at the stage in case the singer decided to oblige.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
After competitions, Gu is the one every media outlet wants to speak to, and she gracefully and politely obliges as she slowly shuffles through the mixed zone.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Mr. Youngkin’s comment about Mr. Vance more or less obliges him not to vituperate the vice president in the usual way of presidential primaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
That’s the plank that says an attack on one is an attack on all and obliges a united response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
A furious look dances in her eyes, but she obliges.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Through the Climate Change Act, external, the UK is obliged by law to reach net zero, nationally, by 2050.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
MPs are obliged to declare any financial support they received up to a year before their election.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Guardianship companies are not obliged to protect their deposits or carry out repairs not specifically provided for in the agreement.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
On Wednesday, regulators were obliged to enforce the circuit breaker, suspending all trading temporarily, for the second consecutive day and the tenth time this year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Yes, sir, I did indeed; and I am very much obliged by your kind solicitude about me.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Latin America's biggest economy has in recent months sought to boost protections for children online, obliging platforms to link the accounts of users under age 16 to their parents' accounts and verify user age.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Promoters are keen to expand and capture new market share, often reflected in artist contracts obliging the latter to tour in certain geographies, Europe being one of them,” the Bernstein analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
When Rana’s curiosity leads her far from home, she must call on her memory of her mother’s stories and, with the help of an obliging polar bear, find her own way back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Cheddar is the classic choice, of course — bright, familiar, endlessly obliging — but there’s a whole constellation of cheeses that melt with equal charisma.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
I tried the number again while the obliging proprietor dug up his two coldest ones from the bottom of the deep freeze.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions 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.
