Obligate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/

Definitions

1. To compel or bind someone legally or morally to perform a particular action or duty
2. To require someone to fulfill a specific obligation or responsibility through legal or moral means
3. To impose a duty upon an individual, making it necessary for them to take certain actions in accordance with rules or ethics

Etymology: "Obligate" and "oblige" are two forms of one Latin verb, "obligare," meaning "to bind up" or "to bind together," built from "ob" (toward) and "ligare" (to bind). The same root gave English "ligament" and "league." The verb was first recorded in English in 1533, and it arrived by two routes at once: the Latin participle "obligatus" came in directly, while "oblige" came through French. That is why English ended up with a doublet, two words from one source that look and sound quite different. The two words have drifted apart in use. "Oblige" usually carries a sense of courtesy or gratitude ("I am obliged to you") or of compelling someone by circumstance. "Obligate" keeps the harder edge of the Latin: it means to bind someone formally, by law, contract or duty, so that they must do something. Its meaning therefore sits closer to the original image of being tied up than its softer cousin does.

Synonyms: compel, bind, require, enforce

Antonyms: free, release, excuse, liberate