Adjacent Words

Obligation definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OBLIGA'TION, n. [L. obligatio.]
1. The binding power of a vow, promise, oath or contract, or of law, civil, political or moral, independent of a promise; that which constitutes legal or moral duty, and which renders a person liable to coercion and punishment for neglecting it. The laws and commands of God impose on us an obligation to love him supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. Every citizen is under an obligation to obey the laws of the state. Moral obligation binds men without promise or contract.
2. The binding force of civility, kindness or gratitude, when the performance of a duty cannot be enforced by law. Favors conferred impose on men an obligation to make suitable returns.
3. Any act by which a person becomes bound to do something to or for another, or to forbear something.
4. In law, a bond with a condition annexed and a penalty for non-fulfillment.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force; "we must instill a sense of duty in our children"; "every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty"- John D.Rockefeller Jr [syn: duty, responsibility, obligation]
2: the state of being obligated to do or pay something; "he is under an obligation to finish the job"
3: a personal relation in which one is indebted for a service or favor [syn: obligation, indebtedness]
4: a written promise to repay a debt [syn: debt instrument, obligation, certificate of indebtedness]
5: a legal agreement specifying a payment or action and the penalty for failure to comply

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 1. the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow) 2. a. something (as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action b. a debt security (as a mortgage or corporate bond) c. a commitment (as by a government) to pay a particular sum of money; also an amount owed under such an obligation <unable to meet its obligations, the company went into bankruptcy> 3. a. a condition or feeling of being obligated b. a debt of gratitude 4. something one is bound to do ; duty, responsibility

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the constraining power of a law, precept, duty, contract, etc. 2 a duty; a burdensome task. 3 a binding agreement, esp. one enforceable under legal penalty; a written contract or bond. 4 a a service or benefit (repay an obligation). b indebtedness for this (be under an obligation). Phrases and idioms: day of obligation Eccl. a day on which all are required to attend Mass or Communion. of obligation obligatory. Derivatives: obligational adj. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L obligatio -onis (as OBLIGE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Obligation Ob"li*ga"tion, n. [F. obligation. L. obligatio. See Oblige.] 1. The act of obligating. 2. That which obligates or constrains; the binding power of a promise, contract, oath, or vow, or of law; that which constitutes legal or moral duty. A tender conscience is a stronger obligation than a proson. --Fuller. 3. Any act by which a person becomes bound to do something to or for anouther, or to forbear something; external duties imposed by law, promise, or contract, by the relations of society, or by courtesy, kindness, etc. Every man has obligations which belong to his station. Duties extend beyond obligation, and direct the affections, desires, and intentions, as well as the actions. --Whewell. 4. The state of being obligated or bound; the state of being indebted for an act of favor or kindness; as, to place others under obligations to one. 5. (Law) A bond with a condition annexed, and a penalty for nonfulfillment. In a larger sense, it is an acknowledgment of a duty to pay a certain sum or do a certain things. Days of obligation. See under Day.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(obligations) 1. If you have an obligation to do something, it is your duty to do that thing. When teachers assign homework, students usually feel an obligation to do it... Ministers are under no obligation to follow the committee's recommendations. N-VAR: usu N to-inf 2. If you have an obligation to a person, it is your duty to look after them or protect their interests. The United States will do that which is necessary to meet its obligations to its own citizens... I have an ethical and a moral obligation to my client. = responsibility N-VAR: usu N to n 3. In advertisements, if a product or a service is available without obligation, you do not have to pay for that product or service until you have tried it and are satisfied with it. If you are selling your property, why not call us for a free valuation without obligation?... PHRASE

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Responsibility, accountableness, bond of duty. 2. Engagement, contract, agreement, stipulation, bond, covenant. 3. Debt of gratitude.

Moby Thesaurus

accountability, accounts payable, accounts receivable, act of grace, act of kindness, affair, agreement, allegiance, amount due, appreciation, appreciativeness, aptitude, aptness, arrearage, assigned task, attempt, bad debts, benefaction, benefit, benevolence, benignity, bill, bills, blessing, bond, borrowing, boundary condition, bounden duty, burden, business, call, call of duty, catch, cause, chance, charge, charges, chits, clause, coaction, commitment, committal, compulsatory, compulsion, compulsiveness, compulsoriness, compulsory, condition, constraint, contingency, contract, courtesy, covenant, deal, debt, dedication, deference, demand, devoir, devotion, donnee, due, dues, duress, duties and responsibilities, duty, effort, enforcement, engagement, enterprise, escalator clause, escape clause, escape hatch, ethics, eventuality, favor, fealty, financial commitment, fine print, floating debt, forcing, funded debt, given, good deed, good offices, good turn, grace, gratefulness, gratitude, grounds, homage, imperative, imperious, indebtedness, indebtment, inevitability, irresistibility, joker, kicker, kind deed, kind offices, kindly act, kindness, labor of love, liability, liableness, likelihood, likeliness, limiting condition, line of duty, loyalty, mandatedness, mandatoriness, maturity, mercy, mission, mitzvah, must, national debt, necessariness, necessitation, necessitude, necessity, need, obligatoriness, obligatory, obligement, office, onus, operation, ought, outstanding debt, parameter, part, place, plan, pledge, possibility, preengagement, prerequisite, probability, program, project, promise, proneness, proposition, provision, provisions, proviso, public debt, recognizance, required, requirement, requisite, respect, responsibility, restraint, right, saving clause, score, self-imposed duty, sense of obligation, service, sine qua non, small print, specification, stipulation, string, task, terms, thankfulness, trust, turn, ultimatum, uncollectibles, understanding, undertaking, unfulfilled pledge, venture, verbal agreement, weakness, whereas, work