different between oblige vs obedience

English

Etymology

From Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, obliger, from Latin obligo, obligare, from ob- + ligo. Doublet of obligate, taken straight from Latin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??bla?d?/
• Rhymes: -a?d?

Verb

oblige (third-person singular simple present obliges, present participle obliging, simple past and past participle obliged)

1. (transitive) To constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means.

   I am obliged to report to the police station every week.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To do (someone) a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation).

   He obliged me by not parking his car in the drive.

   The singer obliged with another song.
3. (intransitive) To be indebted to someone.

   I am obliged to you for your recent help.

Usage notes

Aside from in American English and Scottish, "obliged" has largely replaced "obligate" by the 20th century, the latter being more common in the 17th through 19th centuries.

Derived terms

• disoblige

Related terms

• much obliged
• noblesse oblige
• obligate
• obligation
• obligatory
• obligee
• obligor

Translations

References

Anagrams

• big ole, biogel, globie

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?.bli?/

Verb

oblige

1. first-person singular present indicative of obliger
2. third-person singular present indicative of obliger
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of obliger
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of obliger
5. second-person singular imperative of obliger

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [o?blid??e]

Verb

oblige

1. third-person singular present subjunctive of obliga
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of obliga

English

Alternative forms

• oboedience (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman obedience, from Old French obedience (modern French obédience), from Latin oboedientia. Cognate with obeisance.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?(?)?bi?d??ns/

Noun

obedience (countable and uncountable, plural obediences)

1. The quality of being obedient.
   • February 24, 1823, Thomas Jefferson, letter to Mr. Edward Everett

     Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.

   • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VIII

     Cautioning Nobs to silence, and he had learned many lessons in the value of obedience since we had entered Caspak, I slunk forward, taking advantage of whatever cover I could find...

2. The collective body of persons subject to any particular authority.
3. A written instruction from the superior of an order to those under him.
4. Any official position under an abbot's jurisdiction.

Synonyms

• hearsomeness (nonce word)
• submission

Antonyms

• disobedience, defiance, rebellion (ignoring)
• violation (ignoring, especially rules)
• control, dominance (ruling)

Related terms

• obedient
• obeisance
• obey

Translations

Further reading

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

Old French

Etymology

From Latin

Noun

obedience f (oblique plural obediences, nominative singular obedience, nominative plural obediences)

1. obedience
2. authority; influence; power