Obligations

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɑb.ləˈɡeɪ.ʃənz/

Definitions

1. Duties or responsibilities that an individual is legally or morally bound to uphold
2. Expectations or commitments that require adherence due to social, contractual, or ethical standards
3. Requirements a person must meet by law or ethics ; promises or agreements that must be honored or performed

Etymology: The idea of a debt you owe is older than the English word for it: "obligation" arrived from Latin via Old French, and the Latin verb it grows from, "obligare", meant to bind someone up, as with a rope or a pledge. A person under an obligation was, quite literally, tied to a promise or a debt. The Latin prefix "ob-" meant "to" or "towards," and "ligare" meant "to bind," the same root that gives English "ligament" and "ligature." So the word carries the image of being tied to someone, with the duty pulling you toward them. The plural "obligations" is simply the noun in its plural form, referring to several such bonds at once. It is the form most often used for the duties a person accumulates in work, family, or law.

Synonyms: responsibilities, duties, commitments, liabilities, requirements

Antonyms: freedom, independence, release, exemption, liberation