Meaning & use

obligation

noun·Academic

A duty or responsibility that a person is required to fulfill, whether by law, morality, or agreement.

See it in a sentence

As a citizen, she felt an obligation to vote in every local and national election.

The contract created a legal obligation for the contractor to finish the work by June.

A note on using this word

Obligation often pairs with feel, have, or under, as in under an obligation to repay a favor.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

freedomchoice

Make it your own

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