English Explanatory Dictionary

obligate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.
  2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige.
  3. To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.
adj
  1. Requiring a (specified) way of life, habitat, etc.
  2. Indispensable; essential; necessary; obligatory; mandatory; unavoidably invoked.
  3. Bound by oath, law or duty.
noun
  1. An obligate organism.

Pronunciation

ŏbʹlĭ-gāt' /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-obligate.wav ŏʹblĭ-gāt' /ˈɑ.blɪˌɡeɪt/ ŏbʹlĭ-gĭt /ˈɒb.lɪ.ɡɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-obligate2.wav ŏʹblĭ-gĭt /ˈɑ.blɪ.ɡɪt/

Word forms

obligate obligates obligating obligated more obligate most obligate

Etymology

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.

Synonyms

also: force: Synonyms binding compulsatory compulsory decretory forced imperative involuntary mandatory nonoptional obligatory required unbewised unvoluntary

Antonyms

discretionary elective facultative free noncompulsory nonmandatory nonobligate nonobligatory nonrequired nonrequisite optional optionary unrequired volitional voluntary

Related words

oblige obligee obliger obligor

Derived words

obligatee obligation obligator obligatory nonobligate obligate carrier obligately
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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