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
The farmers, in exchange, are obligated to sell their crop to the Chinese company or its agents. Farai Mutsaka, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Those loyal fans had invested many thousands of dollars into their seats — paying the one-time fee of a Permanent Seat License and then buying season tickets every year thereafter as the PSL obligates them to do. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 In many states, relatives can be paid for providing some of that care, but Medicaid programs have typically been more restrictive about paying parents who — the thinking goes — are obligated to care for their children out of duty rather than for money. Ted Alcorn Kaiti Sullivan, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Taxpayers that claimed the ERC are obligated to amend their 2020 or 2021 tax returns, as applicable, to reduce their wage expense deductions by the amount of ERC claimed in each year. Daniel Mayo, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Funds have been slow to be obligated, particularly in some city departments that have faced challenges with supply chain delays and turnover in staffing and leadership. Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024 Freelancers, gig workers, small businesses — or anyone with a side job — have always been obligated to track and report income to the I.R.S. when their profits exceed $400. Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 They are both obligated to protect their shareholders. Ed Hirs, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Everyone has until March 5 to register their interest in buying shares, but nobody is obligated to follow through with a purchase. Robert Peck, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
As obligate scavengers, vultures survive almost exclusively on what is already dead. Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Nothing in these Official Rules shall obligate Sponsor to publish or otherwise use any entry submitted in connection with this Contest. TIME.com, 3 July 2023 For evolutionary biologists, that posed a mystery: How could a new species of obligate social parasites evolve from its host species? Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2023 Schools have until September 2024 to obligate ARP ESSER III funding. Trisha Powell Crain | Tcrain@al.com, al, 26 Jan. 2023 Such a relationship between species is called obligate parasitism, because the parasites cannot survive on their own. Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2023 The resolutions passed Tuesday obligate the city to work to resolve outstanding issues, which include: Norfolk’s pledge to secure state funding for at least half of the $931 million in local funding required by the Army Corps over 10 years. Jim Morrison, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2023 Heuchera americana is an obligate denizen of eastern woodsy sites — shady and a bit damp in spring. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Apr. 2023 Cats are obligate carnivores. Dallas News, 22 Dec. 2022

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 28 Mar. 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 breatherJournal 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

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