obligated
Americanadjective
-
bound by law or regulation, moral principle, duty, etc.; obliged.
My supervisors talked with me regularly about my ambitions and struggles, not because they felt obligated, but because they truly cared.
-
(of funds, property, etc.) pledged, committed, or bound, as to meet an obligation.
If a parent is unable to pay the obligated amount, they are free to request the court to modify the child support order.
verb
Other Word Forms
- nonobligated adjective
- quasi-obligated adjective
- unobligated adjective
Etymology
Origin of obligated
First recorded in 1730–40; obligate ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ); for the adjective senses; obligate ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said he loved her but felt obligated to keep his parents, and the wider public, in the dark until she was properly educated, and he had returned from the Arctic in triumph.
From Literature
Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is obligated to provide weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.
Under the agreement with CoreWeave, the firm is obligated to provide $500 million in bridge financing through the end of March, “and that commitment remains fully in place,” it said.
From Barron's
The doctor is obligated to honor Evans’ desires.
From Salon
He looked so miserable that Jonah felt obligated to cheer him up.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
