Obligation

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Origin

From Latin obligatio, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- to + ligare to bind, from Proto-Indo-European *leig- ("to bind").

Full definition of obligation

Noun

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. (legal) 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. <>
• 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The DeciÅ¿ions of the Lords of Council & SeÅ¿Å¿ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a DiÅ¿charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiÅ¿h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conÅ¿equently of all the reÅ¿t, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be DiÅ¿charged as to one, and Å¿tand as to all the reÅ¿t.

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

• (requirement, duty, contract or promise) duty

Antonyms

• (requirement, duty, contract or promise) right

Related terms