Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to bind or oblige morally or legally: to obligate oneself to purchase a building.
2.
to pledge, commit, or bind (funds, property, etc.) to meet an obligation.
adjective
3.
morally or legally bound; obliged; constrained.
4.
necessary; essential.
5.
Biology. restricted to a particular condition of life, as certain organisms that can survive only in the absence of oxygen: obligate anaerobe (opposed to facultative).
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Obligate
is always a great word to know.
So is selection. Does it mean:
| adapting to the prevailing conditions and producing offspring that survive to reproductive age; contributing to the gene pool of the next generation |
| a process that results in differential reproduction among a population so that the inheritable traits of only certain individuals are passed on |
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English obligat (adj.) < Latin obligātus (past participle of obligāre to bind), equivalent to ob- ob- + ligātus; see ligate
1400–50; late Middle English obligat (adj.) < Latin obligātus (past participle of obligāre to bind), equivalent to ob- ob- + ligātus; see ligate
Related forms
ob·li·ga·tor, noun
non·ob·li·gat·ed, adjective
pre·ob·li·gate, verb (used with object), -gat·ed, -gat·ing.
qua·si-ob·li·gat·ed, adjective
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To obligate
Example Sentences
- The filing does not obligate them to actually make the sales.
- Learning these divergent views does not obligate the student to accept any of them as the last word.
- All obligate carnivores, including cats, are hypercarnivores.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| obligate (ˈɒblɪˌɡeɪt) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to compel, constrain, or oblige morally or legally |
| 2. | (in the US) to bind (property, funds, etc) as security |
| —adj | |
| 3. | compelled, bound, or restricted |
| 4. | biology Compare facultative able to exist under only one set of environmental conditions: an obligate parasite cannot live independently of its host |
| [C16: from Latin obligāre to | |
| 'obligable | |
| —adj | |
| ob'ligative | |
| —adj | |
| 'obligator | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
obligate
from L. obligationem (see obligation). Oblige, with which it is confused, means "to do one a favor." Related: Obligated.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
obligate ob·li·gate (ŏb'lĭ-gĭt, -gāt')
adj.
Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
obligate  (ŏb'lĭ-gĭt, -gāt') Pronunciation Key
Capable of existing only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role. An obligate aerobe, such as certain bacteria, can live only in the presence of oxygen. An obligate parasite cannot survive independently of its host. Compare facultative. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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