to oblige

Examples

• All

• Due to the emergency, the agency was obliged to evacuate the building immediately.

• I'm obliged to remind you that I gave him permission to go out last night.

  Forbidden Planet (1956)

• And the government is, you know, obliged to send it to you at a place where your family has the ability to visit you.

  Anything Goes With James English

• Unfortunately, I shall be obliged to leave early.

  Living (2022)

• A case which the defense is obliged to review now.

  Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

• But regulators were obliged to sell the bank to the party making the best offer.

  Patrick Boyle

• But we feel obliged to inform you that the State... is ruled by secular laws.

  Jefferson in Paris (1995)

• As the weeks went by, we were obliged to attend Mr. Adams's lectures on livestock.

  Fiction book (1993)

• EPA, having found carbon dioxide emissions to be dangerous, is legally obliged to regulate it.

  MIT OpenCourseWare

• The new law obliged all businesses to provide paid leave for employees.

Synonyms

R

to require

vsto oblige

∞ 1.1

Need something because a rule or situation makes it necessary

forces someone to act because of law, duty, or circumstances not just need

M

to make

vsto oblige

∞ 1.0

To force someone to do something

refers specifically to necessity by law, duty, or circumstances rather than general causing

F

to force

vsto oblige

∞ 2.3

To make someone do something by using power or pressure

is tied to legal or circumstantial necessity rather than raw power or pressure

D

to demand

vsto oblige

311 2.1

To need something because a job or situation must have it

compels action by law, duty, or circumstances rather than personal insistence

I

to impose

vsto oblige

271 4.8

Force someone to accept something they do not want

focuses on making someone act because of law, duty, or circumstances rather than imposing items

C

to compel

vsto oblige

258 4.8

Force someone to do something or make them feel they must

relies on legal, duty, or circumstantial necessity rather than sheer pressure or force

B

to bind

vsto oblige

• Formal

216 4.4

To make someone legally required to do something

arises from law, duty, or circumstances rather than from a private agreement

D

to dictate

vsto oblige

181 5.0

To give orders that control what other people do

is about requiring action because of law, duty, or circumstances rather than issuing orders

M

to mandate

vsto oblige

• Formal

169 4.9

To officially require someone to do something

applies to necessity by law, duty, or circumstances rather than formal orders

C

to coerce

vsto oblige

• Offensive

91 6.4

Force someone to do something by threats

depends on necessity from law, duty, or circumstances rather than threats

O

to obligate

vsto oblige

• Formal

89 6.7

Make someone legally or morally have to do something

stresses necessity because of law, duty, or circumstances rather than moral pressure

C

to constrain

vsto oblige

64 5.6

To limit what someone can do or how they can act

creates duty or legal need that requires action rather than just limiting choices

N

to necessitate

vsto oblige

• Formal

24 6.3

To make something needed as a result

makes someone act because of law, duty, or circumstances rather than only creating need

I

to impel

vsto oblige

4 7.2

To make someone feel they must do something, often because of pressure or need

is based on legal, duty, or circumstantial requirement rather than internal urging

Antonyms

P

to permit

531 1.5

To allow someone to do something

Compounds

N

noblesse oblige

• Formal

2 9.9

People who are rich or powerful should be kind and help others

How Compulsory

to coerce

• Offensive

91 6.4

to force

∞ 2.3

to compel

258 4.8

to oblige

• Formal

72 4.5

to require

∞ 1.1

to expect

∞ 2.0

to request

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology