English Online Dictionary. What means obligation? What does obligation mean?
English
Etymology
From Middle English obligacioun, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from obligatum (past participle of obligare), from ob- (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ɑb.ləˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
obligation (countable and uncountable, plural obligations)
- The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
- A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
- A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
- (law) A legal agreement stipulating a specified action or forbearance by a party to the agreement; the document containing such agreement.
- The fact of being obliged to, that is, grateful for, something.
Synonyms
- (the act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone): commitment
- (requirement, duty, contract or promise): duty
Antonyms
- (requirement, duty, contract or promise): right
Related terms
Collocations
Translations
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin obligātiōnem, from the verb obligō (“tie together”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔ.bli.ɡa.sjɔ̃/
Noun
obligation f (plural obligations)
- obligation
- (finance) bond
Derived terms
- obligation scolaire
Related terms
- obliger
Further reading
- “obligation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle English
Noun
obligation
- Alternative form of obligacioun
Swedish
Noun
obligation
- (government) bond
Further reading
- obligation in Svensk ordbok.