English Lexicon

Obligation

/ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #800 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A legal or moral duty to do or not do something.

    "Parents have a legal obligation to provide care and education for their children."
  2. 2

    A debt or circumstance that compels a person to follow a certain course of action.

    "I felt an obligation to help my neighbor after they assisted me with home repairs."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'obligation' originates from the Latin 'obligatio', which means 'a binding' or 'a tying'. It evolved through Old French 'obligation' in the medieval period, reflecting a sense of duty or commitment that has persisted into modern English.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Obligation"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Obligation"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Obligation" Synonym Map