Word of the Day: Obligate
If someone is obligated to do something, he or she feels a certain responsibility or other motivation to act. This may be a matter of conscience or a feeling of commitment:
- Mary feels obligated to help her family in Honduras when they need money.
- The man who broke the window felt obligated to pay for the repair.
- Having a large number of workers in the factory obligates the company to ensure their safety.
- As a teacher of high school students, John is obligated to be a model of good behavior.
- She didn’t finished the job because she wasn’t obligated to do it. She said that it was another person’s responsibility.
- Jerry says he doesn’t feel compelled or obligated to stick with the company, so he has decided to quit his job.
When this word is a noun, it becomes “obligation.”
- The police officer felt an obligation to go help the woman in trouble, even though he was off duty and not wearing a uniform.
- Vince left the military once his obligations to serve were completed.
- The company says it has an obligation to help the less fortunate members of the community.
- Sarah says she doesn’t feel any obligation to remain married to someone she doesn’t love.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with O page to see the list of all words starting with letter O. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
