obligation

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 *leig- (“to bind”).

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɑb.ləˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

obligation (countable and uncountable, plural obligations)

1. The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
2. A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
3. A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
4. (law) A legal agreement stipulating a specified payment or action; the document containing such agreement.

   X shall be entitled to subcontract its obligation to provide the Support Services. <<from an agreement>>

   • 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575

     The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Diſcharge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiſh the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conſequently of all the reſt, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be Diſcharged as to one, and ſtand as to all the reſt.

• Adjectives often used with "obligation": moral, legal, social, contractual, political, mutual, military, perpetual, etc.

• (the act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone): commitment
• (requirement, duty, contract or promise): duty

• (requirement, duty, contract or promise): right

Borrowed from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from the verb obligō (“tie together”).

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obligation f (plural obligations)

1. obligation

• obliger

• “obligation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

obligation

1. Alternative form of obligacioun