obligate

1 of 2

verb

ob·​li·​gate ˈä-blə-ˌgāt How to pronounce obligate (audio)
obligated; obligating

transitive verb

1
: to bind legally or morally : constrain
You are obligated to repay the loan.
2
: to commit (something, such as funds) to meet an obligation
funds obligated for new projects

obligate

2 of 2

adjective

ob·​li·​gate ˈä-bli-gət How to pronounce obligate (audio) -blə-ˌgāt How to pronounce obligate (audio)
1
: restricted to one particularly characteristic mode of life
an obligate parasite
2
: biologically essential for survival
obligate mutualism
obligately adverb

Examples of obligate in a Sentence

Verb The contract obligates the firm to complete the work in six weeks. the problem is of your own making, so don't think that you can obligate me to help
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Google is legally obligated to provide the requested data under the terms of the warrant. Lars Daniel, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 Under this ruling, companies in critical infrastructure sectors — which are often small and mid-sized entities — will be obligated to disclose any ransomware payments, further intensifying the challenges of handling these attacks. Barbara Booth, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
To clearly distinguish it from NATO, the AASC should not be called a treaty organization and should not obligate members to come to one another’s defense in case of attack. Lise Morjé Howard, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2023 The defendants also maintain the FTC doesn’t legally obligate influencers to disclose their connection. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for obligate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obligate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin obligātus, past participle of obligāre "to tie up, restrain by tying, place under a legal or moral constraint" — more at oblige

Adjective

borrowed from German obligat "necessary, unavoidable," borrowed from Latin obligātus "under an obligation," from past participle of obligāre "to tie up, restrain by tying, place under a legal or moral constraint" — more at oblige

Note: In biological sense apparently adapted from use of German obligat by the mycologist Heinrich Anton de Bary (1831-88) in Vergleichende Morphologie und Biologie der Pilze, Mycetozoen und Bacterien (Leipzig, 1884), p. 382 ff.

First Known Use

Verb

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of obligate was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near obligate

Cite this Entry

“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obligate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

obligate

verb
ob·​li·​gate
ˈäb-lə-ˌgāt
obligated; obligating
: to make (someone) do something by law or because it is right

Medical Definition

obligate

adjective
ob·​li·​gate ˈäb-li-gət How to pronounce obligate (audio) -lə-ˌgāt How to pronounce obligate (audio)
1
: restricted to one particularly characteristic mode of life or way of functioning
the infant is an obligate nose breatherThe Journal of the American Medical Association
an obligate parasite
2
: biologically essential for survival
obligate parasitism
obligately adverb

Legal Definition

obligate

transitive verb
ob·​li·​gate ˈä-blə-ˌgāt How to pronounce obligate (audio)
obligated; obligating
1
: to bind legally or morally
was obligated to pay child support
2
: to commit (as funds or property) to meet or provide security for an obligation
obligatory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on obligate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!