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

The FDA generally follows advisory committee recommendations but has no obligation to do so.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Malcolm-Jamal also agreed in their prenup to maintain and contribute the maximum annual amount to a Roth IRA account for his wife, a financial obligation worth $30,500, according to court documents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

In the case of Garnacho, a loan with an obligation to buy could still be regarded as part of a swap deal because the 'purchase' has been agreed within 45 days of Rogers' transfer.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

You are also a new customer, and the bank is under no obligation to take a risk on your creditworthiness without having its own experience of you as a customer.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

Not counting Holy Week, Sundays, holy days of obligation, first Fridays, retreats, sacrifices, and cyclical impediments, her effective year was reduced to forty-two days that were spread out through a web of purple crosses.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Even the European Union, which Albania hopes to join in 2030, has spoken out on the country's failure to meet obligations under Chapter 27, which relates to the environment and climate change.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

The slowdown in sales has created a liquidity crunch for some pension funds and insurance companies that need to meet payout obligations to retirees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The company reported $29 billion in remaining performance obligations, a measure of contracted business yet to be recognized as revenue.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

The couple takes the Mills Act obligations, such as maintaining their home’s historic character and adhering to design guidelines, seriously.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

For their part, the Old Ones watched over the living members of the family, for one’s obligations to the family did not stop with death.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

Related Words

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