different between obligation vs vow

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

From Middle English vowe, voue, that from Old French vut, in turn from Latin v?tum (“a promise, dedication, vow”), from vov?re (“to promise, vow”). Doublet of vote.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Noun

vow (plural vows)

1. A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.

2. A declaration or assertion.
3. (obsolete) A votive offering.
   • 1786, Richard Payne Knight, The Worship of Priapus:

     There are also waxen vows, that represent other parts of the body mixed with them; but of these there are few in comparison of the number of the Priapi.

Usage notes

• One normally makes or takes a vow, or simply vows (see below).
• Commonly mentioned vows include those of silence, obedience, poverty, chastity, and celibacy.
• 'to keep/pay/fulfill a vow' = to honor a vow
• 'to break a vow' = to dishonor a vow

Translations

Verb

vow (third-person singular simple present vows, present participle vowing, simple past and past participle vowed)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make a vow; to promise.

   • When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.

   • 1673, Richard Baxter, Christian Directory

     We do not vow that we will never sin, nor neglect a duty (nor ought we to do so).

2. (transitive) To make a vow regarding (something).

   The wronged woman vowed revenge.

3. To declare publicly that one has made a vow, usually to show one's determination or to announce an act of retaliation.

   The rebels vowed to continue their fight.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• vow in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• vow in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• vow at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• WOV, WVO