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obligation
/ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
binding duty
She felt a strong obligation to help her family.
She felt a strong duty to assist her family.
formal
A legal or moral requirement to do something.
The contract creates an obligation for the seller to deliver the goods on time.
The contract requires the seller to deliver the goods promptly.
He has an obligation to vote in the upcoming election.
He has a duty to participate in the election by voting.
Often paired with the preposition "to" (obligation to) or "of" (obligation of).
Collocations
obligation toa duty that requires someone to do somethingobligation ofa responsibility belonging to a person or groupunder an obligationbound by a duty or contract
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Preposition Pairing
When using "obligation" remember to follow it with "to" (obligation to do something) or "of" (obligation of a person).
Gold Rule
Singular vs. Plural
"Obligation" is usually singular when referring to a specific duty; use "obligations" for multiple duties.
Word Origin
From Middle English, from Old French obligacion, from Latin obligatio ‘binding, tie’, from obligare ‘to bind’ (ob- ‘against’ + ligare ‘to bind’).
Usage Notes
Used for both legal and moral contexts. In everyday speech, "obligation" often sounds stronger than "duty" and implies a formal or contractual requirement.
Word Breakdown
ob-
against, toward
prefixlig
bind, tie
root-ation
the act or process of
suffixEnglish Dictionary