different between oblige vs obligate

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

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin oblig?tus, past participle of oblig?. Doublet of oblige, taken through French.

Pronunciation

• (US) (verb): enPR: ä?bl?g?t, IPA^(key): /??bl??e?t/

(adjective): enPR: ä?bl?g?t, IPA^(key): /??bl???t/

• (UK) (verb): enPR: ôb?l?g?t, IPA^(key): /??bl??e?t/

(adjective): enPR: ôb?l?g?t, IPA^(key): /??bl???t/

Verb

obligate (third-person singular simple present obligates, present participle obligating, simple past and past participle obligated)

1. (transitive, Canada, US, Scotland) To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.
2. (transitive, Canada, US, Scotland) To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige.
3. (transitive, Canada, US, Scotland) To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.

Usage notes

In non-legal usage, almost exclusively used in the passive, in form “obligated to X” where ‘X’ is a verb infinitive or noun phrase, as in “obligated to pay”. Further, it is now only in standard use in American English and some dialects such as Scottish, having disappeared from standard British English by the 20th century, being replaced by obliged (it was previously used in the 17th through 19th centuries).

Synonyms

• (force, compel): See also: force: Synonyms

Derived terms

• obligation
• obligatory

Translations

Adjective

obligate (comparative more obligate, superlative most obligate)

1. (biology) Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role.

   (a plant able to reproduce only from seed.)

2. Absolutely indispensable; essential.

Translations

Antonyms

• facultative
• optional

Related terms

References

• obligate at OneLook Dictionary Search
• obligate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /obli??ate/
• Hyphenation: o?bli?ga?te
• Rhymes: -ate

Verb

obligate

1. present adverbial passive participle of obligi

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

obligate

1. inflection of obligat:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Latin

Participle

oblig?te

1. vocative masculine singular of oblig?tus