different between obligation vs covenant

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

Alternative forms

• covenaunt (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English covenaunt, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveni?ns, convenientem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveni? (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient and convene.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?v.?n.?nt/, /?k?v.n?nt/

Noun

covenant (plural covenants)

1. (law) An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
2. (law) A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.
3. A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties.
4. An incidental clause in an agreement.

Synonyms

• Thesaurus:pact
• Thesaurus:agreement

Related terms

• Ark of the Covenant
• covenant of salt
• covenant of title
• New Covenant
• Old Covenant
• religious covenant
• biblical covenant
• exclusionary covenants
• Mosaic covenant
• New Covenant theology
• Covenant marriage
• Covenant theology
• Covenantal nomism

Translations

Verb

covenant (third-person singular simple present covenants, present participle covenanting, simple past and past participle covenanted)

1. To enter into, or promise something by, a covenant.
2. (law) To enter a formal agreement.
3. (law) To bind oneself in contract.
4. (law) To make a stipulation.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• covenant in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• covenant in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• covenant at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “covenant”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Old French

Etymology

From Latin conveni?ns, conveni?ntem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveni? (“to agree”).

Verb

covenant

1. present participle of covenir

Noun

covenant m (oblique plural covenanz or covenantz, nominative singular covenanz or covenantz, nominative plural covenant)

1. covenant

Descendants

• English: covenant
• French: convenant