obligation

B2 Topic:Law & Government

US /ˌɑ.blɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/ UK /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #7305

Meanings

1

noun
Something you must do because of a law, promise, or moral duty.

Parents have an obligation to care for their children.
2

noun
The state of being forced or required to do something.

You are under no obligation to buy anything.
3

noun
A formal legal agreement to do something or pay money.

The company failed to meet its financial obligations.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something you must do... duty

3 noun · a formal legal agreement to... debt instrument

Word family

Forms obligations

Derived forms counterobligationdisobligation

Related forms obligateobligatedobligationalobligatoobligatorilyoblige obligeeobligerobliging obligingly obligingness obligor

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

moral obligation
a duty based on a sense of right and wrong

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

*leyǵ- Proto-Indo-European obligacioun Middle English obligacion Old French obligatio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government Register & Style

External links

# obligation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɑ.blɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃn̩/
**Frequency rank:** 7305

## Meanings
1. Something you must do because of a law, promise, or moral duty.
2. The state of being forced or required to do something.
3. A formal legal agreement to do something or pay money.

## Examples
- Parents have an obligation to care for their children.
- You are under no obligation to buy anything.
- The company failed to meet its financial obligations.

## Derived Forms
- counterobligation
- disobligation

## Related Forms
- obligate
- obligated
- obligational
- obligato
- obligatorily
- oblige
- obligee
- obliger
- obliging
- obligingly
- obligingness
- obligor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *leyǵ-
- Root: obligacioun
- Root: obligacion
- Root: obligatio

## Etymology
From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

## AI Etymology
Obligation comes from Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). Modern senses include something you must do because of a law, promise, or moral duty and the state of being forced or required to do something. The wider word family includes derivatives such as counterobligation and disobligation and related forms such as obligate, obligated, obligational, and obligato.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Register & Style

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