ought
1[ awt ]
/ ɔt /
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auxiliary verb
(used to express duty or moral obligation): Every citizen ought to help.
(used to express justice, moral rightness, or the like): He ought to be punished. You ought to be ashamed.
(used to express propriety, appropriateness, etc.): You ought to be home early. We ought to bring her some flowers.
(used to express probability or natural consequence): That ought to be our train now.
noun
duty or obligation.
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Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of ought
1First recorded before 900; Middle English ought, aught, Old English āhte, past tense of āgan “to owe”
synonym study for ought
1. See must1.
usage note for ought
Ought1 forms its negative in a number of ways. Ought not occurs in all types of speech and writing and is fully standard: The conferees ought not to waste time on protocol. Oughtn't, largely a spoken form, is found mainly in the Midland and Southern dialects of the United States, where it is almost the universal form. Hadn't ought is a common spoken form in the Northern dialect area. It is sometimes condemned in usage guides and is uncommon in educated speech except of the most informal variety. Didn't ought and shouldn't ought are considered nonstandard.
Both positive and negative forms of ought are almost always followed by the infinitive form: We ought to go now. You ought not to worry about it. Occasionally, to is omitted after the negative construction: Congress ought not adjourn without considering this bill.
Both positive and negative forms of ought are almost always followed by the infinitive form: We ought to go now. You ought not to worry about it. Occasionally, to is omitted after the negative construction: Congress ought not adjourn without considering this bill.
Other definitions for ought (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ought in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ought (1 of 3)
ought1
/ (ɔːt) /
verb (foll by to; takes an infinitive or implied infinitive)
to indicate duty or obligationyou ought to pay your dues
to express prudent expediencyyou ought to be more careful with your money
(usually with reference to future time) to express probability or expectationyou ought to finish this work by Friday
to express a desire or wish on the part of the speakeryou ought to come next week
Word Origin for ought
Old English āhte, past tense of āgan to owe; related to Gothic aihta
usage for ought
In correct English, ought is not used with did or had. I ought not to do it, not I didn't ought to do it; I ought not to have done it, not I hadn't ought to have done it
British Dictionary definitions for ought (2 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for ought (3 of 3)
Word Origin for ought
C19: mistaken division of a nought as an ought; see nought
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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