ought

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auxiliary verb \ ˈȯt \

Definition of ought

—used to express obligation

ought to pay our debts

, advisability

ought to take care of yourself

, natural expectation

ought to be here by now

, or logical consequence

the result ought to be infinity

Origin and Etymology of ought

Middle English oughte (1st & 3rd singular present indicative), from oughte, 1st & 3rd singular past indicative & subjunctive of owen to own, owe — more at owe

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First Known Use: 12th century

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ought

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verb \ ˈȯ(ḵ)t \

Definition of ought

transitive verb

1 chiefly Scotland :possess

2 chiefly Scotland :owe

See ought defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of ought from the Web

A person with, say, no medical or financial issues — someone who should theoretically have low stress — ought to have greater well-being than a poorer, less healthy person who’s working 70 hours a week.

— cody delistraty, The Cut, "You’ll Be Happier If You Let Yourself Feel Bad," 28 Aug. 2017
The pardon is thus a slap in the face to Latinos, and ought to be an affront to all fair-minded Americans who value the Constitution, the rule of law, and the legitimacy of the system.

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "The Arpaio Pardon Is A Flagrant Assault on Civil Rights," 26 Aug. 2017
In 1947, with the post-war United States awash in considerations of how women ought best to spend their lives, LIFE profiled how a selection of American women had answered that question.

— Time, "How the Conversation About Women 'Having It All' Played Out 70 Years Ago," 25 Aug. 2017
The Confederate flag and the many monuments that dot the southern landscape—properly understood—ought to unite black and white Americans.

— kevin m. levin, Smithsonian, "The Pernicious Myth of the ‘Loyal Slave’ Lives on in Confederate Memorials," 17 Aug. 2017
That aside, the name Mark Penn does make one chuckle because a certain Black senator who many Democrats thought ought to wait his turn managed to somehow bypass the then most powerful Democrat at the time.

— michael arceneaux, Essence.com, "Sen. Kamala Harris May Be A Freshman, But Don't Tell Her To Wait Her Turn In 2020," 24 July 2017
Trump repeatedly affirmed his conviction that the entire federal government ought to be operated for his personal benefit.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Donald Trump: L’état, C’est Moi," 20 July 2017
After all, if life’s a party, the neighbors ought to be a good hang.

— carla lalli music, Bon Appetit, "The Joshua Tree Party House Where Olive Oil Is the Drink of Choice," 26 June 2017
Therefore the law ought to be kept even when its ethical underpinnings are not understood.

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: The limitations of the human mind," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ought.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.