different between obligation vs absolve

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 *ley?- (“to bind”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?b.l???e?.??n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

obligation (countable and uncountable, plural obligations)

1. The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
2. A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
3. A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
4. (law) A legal agreement stipulating a specified action or forbearance by a party to the agreement; the document containing such agreement.
   • 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575

     The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Di?charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extingui?h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and con?equently of all the re?t, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be Di?charged as to one, and ?tand as to all the re?t.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "obligation": moral, legal, social, contractual, political, mutual, military, perpetual, etc.

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

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obligatio, obligationem, from the verb oblig? (“tie together”).

Pronunciation

Noun

obligation f (plural obligations)

1. obligation

Related terms

• obliger

Further reading

• “obligation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle English

Noun

obligation

1. Alternative form of obligacioun

English

Etymology

First attested in the early 15th Century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere, present active infinitive of absolv? (“set free, acquit”), from ab (“away from”) + solv? (“loosen, free, release”). Doublet of assoil.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?z?lv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /æb?z?lv/, /æb?s?lv/, /?b?z?lv/, /?b?s?lv/

Verb

absolve (third-person singular simple present absolves, present participle absolving, simple past and past participle absolved)

1. (transitive) To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.). [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
2. (transitive, obsolete) To resolve; to explain; to solve. [Attested from the late 15^th century until the mid 17^th century.]
   • 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 331-332,^[1]

     […] he that can monsters tame, laboures atchive, riddles absolve […]
3. (transitive) To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.]
4. (transitive, law) To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.]
5. (transitive, theology) To grant a remission of sin; to give absolution to. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.]
6. (transitive, theology) To remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin. [First attested in the late 16^th century.]
7. (transitive, obsolete) To finish; to accomplish. [Attested from the late 16^th century until the early 19^th century.]
8. (transitive) To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.

Usage notes

• (to set free, release from obligations): Normally followed by the word from.
• (to pronounce free from; give absolution for blame): Normally followed by the word from.

Synonyms

• (set free): excuse, exempt, free, release
• (pronounce free or give absolution): acquit, exculpate, exonerate, pardon, remit, vindicate
• (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin): remit

Derived terms

• absolver

Related terms

Translations

References

Latin

Verb

absolve

1. second-person singular present active imperative of absolv?

Portuguese

Verb

absolve

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of absolver
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of absolver