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
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 According to him, the only Roman Catholics who are obligated to fast are people aged 18 to 59. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 When on the road, we were obligated to call the office and provide the hotel’s phone number in case someone needed to reach us. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Henley and prosecutors contend that the documents were stolen, saying Sanders obtained them from Henley's home to research the book and was obligated to return them to the Eagles. CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 As part of its responsibility, AT&T is obligated to offer reliable and affordable telephone services, including emergency access, directory assistance, and special rates for eligible customers. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024 Women comprise nearly half of HALO's staff, Cowan said, in part because men between the ages of 18 and 60 are obligated to conscript in the military. Julie Tsirkin, NBC News, 20 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 19 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

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!