Adjacent Words

Obligate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OB'LIGATE, v.t. [L. obligo; ob and ligo, to bind.]
To bind, as one's self, in a moral and legal sense; to impose on, as a duty which the law or good faith may enforce. A man may obligate himself to pay money, or erect a house, either by bond, by covenant or by a verbal promise. A man obligates himself only by a positive act of his own. We never say, a man obligates his heirs or executors. Until recently, the sense of this word has been restricted to positive and personal acts; and when moral duty or law binds a person to do something, the word oblige has been used. But this distinction is not now observed.
The millions of mankind, as one vast fraternity, should feel obligated by a sense of duty and the impulse of affection, to realize the equal rights and to subserve the best interests of each other.
That's your true plan, to obligate the present minister of state.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: restricted to a particular condition of life; "an obligate anaerobe can survive only in the absence of oxygen" [ant: facultative] v
1: force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form" [syn: compel, oblige, obligate]
2: commit in order to fulfill an obligation; "obligate money"
3: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise" [syn: oblige, bind, hold, obligate]

Merriam Webster's

I. transitive verb (-gated; -gating) Etymology: Latin obligatus, past participle of obligare Date: 1533 1. to bind legally or morally ; constrain 2. to commit (as funds) to meet an obligation II. adjective Date: 1887 1. restricted to one particularly characteristic mode of life <an obligate parasite> 2. biologically essential for survival <obligate mutualism> • obligately adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & adj. --v.tr. 1 (usu. in passive; foll. by to + infin.) bind (a person) legally or morally. 2 US commit (assets) as security. --adj. Biol. that has to be as described (obligate parasite). Derivatives: obligator n. Etymology: L obligare obligat- (as OBLIGE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Obligate Ob"li*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obligated; p. pr. & vb. n. Obligating.] [L. obligatus, p. p. of obligare. See Oblige.] 1. To bring or place under obligation, moral or legal; to hold by a constraining motive. ``Obligated by a sense of duty.'' --Proudfit. That's your true plan -- to obligate The present ministers of state. --Churchill. 2. To bind or firmly hold to an act; to compel; to constrain; to bind to any act of duty or courtesy by a formal pledge. That they may not incline or be obligated to any vile or lowly occupations. --Landor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(obligates, obligating, obligated) If something obligates you to do a particular thing, it creates a situation where you have to do it. (FORMAL) The ruling obligates airlines to release information about their flight delays... VERB: V n to-inf

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. (Inelegant.) Bind, oblige, bring under obligation.

Moby Thesaurus

accept obligation, agree to, answer for, be answerable for, be responsible for, be security for, bind, commit, compel, constrain, contract, engage, force, go bail for, have an understanding, make imperative, make incumbent, oblige, pledge, require, saddle with, shake hands on, take the vows, tie, undertake