oblige
Americanverb (used with object)
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to require or constrain, as by law, command, conscience, or force of necessity.
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to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.
- Synonyms:
- obligate
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to place under a debt of gratitude for some benefit, favor, or service.
I'm much obliged for the ride.
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to put (one) in a debt of gratitude, as by a favor or accommodation.
Mr. Weems will oblige us with a song.
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to make (an action, policy, etc.) necessary or obligatory.
Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr; often passive) to bind or constrain (someone to do something) by legal, moral, or physical means
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(tr; usually passive) to make indebted or grateful (to someone) by doing a favour or service
we are obliged to you for dinner
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to do a service or favour to (someone)
she obliged the guest with a song
Usage
What does oblige mean? Oblige commonly means to politely do something for someone, as in He’s the kind of person who’s happy to oblige no matter what the request is. Someone who is accommodating in this way can be described as obliging. This sense of the word is sometimes used in a somewhat ironic way that likens a negative reaction to a polite one, as in He rudely told me to step aside and let him pass, and I was happy to oblige since I was standing in front of a huge mud puddle. Oblige also commonly means to require, compel, or constrain. This can imply a moral sense of duty or one based on conscience, as in It is her sense of duty that obliges her to make this sacrifice. Or it can imply an official or legal requirement, as in The contract obliges us to perform three nights a week. This sense of oblige is perhaps most often used in passive constructions, as in By contract, we are obliged to perform three nights a week. The similar verb obligate can be used to mean the same thing. The related noun obligation refers to a responsibility or duty that is required of someone. In other words, an obligation is something you are obliged or obligated to do. Something that’s required in such a way can be described with the related adjective obligatory. Sometimes, oblige means to put one in a debt of gratitude, such as for some favor or service. This sense of the word is especially used in the phrase much obliged, which can be used by itself as another way of saying thank you or in a sentence, as in We’re much obliged for all your hospitality. Example: There is no requirement that obliges us to help those who are less fortunate—but we should do it out of a moral obligation.
Synonym Usage
Oblige, accommodate imply making a gracious and welcome gesture of some kind. Oblige emphasizes the idea of conferring a favor or benefit (and often of taking some trouble to do it): to oblige someone with a loan. Accommodate emphasizes doing a service or furnishing a convenience: to accommodate someone with lodgings and meals.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obligesimple
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obligessimple
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have obligedperfect
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has obligedperfect
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am obligingprogressive
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are obligingprogressive
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is obligingprogressive
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have been obligingperfect progressive
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has been obligingperfect progressive
Past
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obligedsimple
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had obligedperfect
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was obligingprogressive
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were obligingprogressive
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had been obligingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oblige
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligāre “to bind”; see obligate
Explanation
To oblige is to do something you have to, because you're bound by either good manners or the law. You are obliged to pay back your student loans, or for your portion of the dinner bill. You may also feel obliged to bring a gift if you're invited to a wedding. You can also tip your cowboy hat and be "much obliged" if someone does you a favor. The French phrase, noblesse oblige means basically that "privilege entails responsibility," or that the wealthy are obliged to do something productive in the world and not just sit around polishing their silver spoons.
Vocabulary lists containing oblige
List 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The offer is voluntary, but Frasers noted that it held a significant number of options on Hugo Boss shares that would put its stake above 30 percent and oblige it to make a buyout offer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
“Listing agents are also culprits in this pattern, as they want to work with the celebrity and oblige their unrealistic expectations,” he explains.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
If you’re looking for something downbeat, of course, “Groundswell” can oblige.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
"It was not an alliance that was designed for one of the allies to go on a war of choice and then oblige everybody else to follow," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Lilya Litvyak was only too happy to oblige.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
Several leaders brought up the bloc’s emissions-trading system in their remarks, which obliges companies to pay for their greenhouse-gas emissions in a bid to nudge them toward cleaner energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Content creators are "contractually bound" to brands, which obliges them to keep posting no matter what, according to the journalist.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
Ofcom said it decided to start investigating X to determine whether the company has failed to comply with the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which obliges platforms to better safeguard users from illegal content online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
Each time he obliges them and kisses his bride tamely on the cheek.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
AFC members would not be obliged to vote against the proposals.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
That would give those with no support the opportunity to withdraw, though they are not obliged to.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Waller had obliged, insinuating Warsh was importing outside authority to ratify long-held views and dressing them up as discovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Salvadoran referee Iván Barton immediately pointed to the spot and Oyarzabal stepped up and obliged, beating French keeper Mike Maignan into the side netting at the right post for his fifth goal of the tournament.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Thus we are obliged to recognize that both realists and relativists have a good point.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
The ETS forces heavy polluters to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit, obliging them to buy allowances that are capped in number, sold in auctions and tradable.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Promoters are keen to expand and capture new market share, often reflected in artist contracts obliging the latter to tour in certain geographies, Europe being one of them,” the Bernstein analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
When Rana’s curiosity leads her far from home, she must call on her memory of her mother’s stories and, with the help of an obliging polar bear, find her own way back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Cheddar is the classic choice, of course — bright, familiar, endlessly obliging — but there’s a whole constellation of cheeses that melt with equal charisma.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
Much like the rest of us on the surface, he had an underlying obliging and considerate strain which barred him from being a really important member of the class.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
