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Added 9 October 2026

oblige

/əˈblaɪd͡ʒ/ verb

Latin root: obligō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about oblige at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Force somebody to do something.
We compel all students to fill out this form
Bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted.
He's held by a contract
Provide a service or favor for someone.
We had to oblige him

Origin

From Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, obliger, from Latin obligō, obligāre, from ob- + ligō. Doublet of obligate, taken straight from Latin.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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