Nearby Words

oblige

[uh-blahyj] Origin

o·blige

[uh-blahyj] verb, o·bliged, o·blig·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
to require or constrain, as by law, command, conscience, or force of necessity.
2.
to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.
3.
to place under a debt of gratitude for some benefit, favor, or service: I'm much obliged for the ride.
4.
to put (one) in a debt of gratitude, as by a favor or accommodation: Mr. Weems will oblige us with a song.
5.
to make (an action, policy, etc.) necessary or obligatory: Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
verb (used without object)
6.
to be kindly accommodating: I'll do anything within reason to oblige.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Oblige is an LSAT word you need to know.
So is unequivocal. Does it mean:
dependent for existence, occurrence or character on something not yet certain
not equivocal; unambiguous; clear; having only one possible meaning or interpretation

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English obligen < Old French obligier < Latin obligāre to bind. See obligate

o·blig·ed·ly [uh-blahy-jid-lee] , adverb
o·blig·ed·ness, noun
o·blig·er, noun
pre·o·blige, verb (used with object), -bliged, -blig·ing.
re·o·blige, verb (used with object), -bliged, -blig·ing.
EXPAND
un·o·bliged, adjective
COLLAPSE

1. coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige (see synonym note at the current entry); 2. obligate, oblige.


1. compel, force. 2. obligate. 4. Oblige, accommodate imply making a gracious and welcome gesture of some kind. Oblige emphasizes the idea of conferring a favor or benefit (and often of taking some trouble to do it): to oblige someone with a loan. Accommodate emphasizes doing a service or furnishing a convenience: to accommodate someone with lodgings and meals.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To oblige
Collins
World English Dictionary
oblige (əˈblaɪdʒ)
 
vb
1.  (tr; often passive) to bind or constrain (someone to do something) by legal, moral, or physical means
2.  (tr; usually passive) to make indebted or grateful (to someone) by doing a favour or service: we are obliged to you for dinner
3.  to do a service or favour to (someone): she obliged the guest with a song
 
[C13: from Old French obliger, from Latin obligāre, from ob- to, towards + ligāre to bind]
 
o'bliger
 
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
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

oblige
c.1300, "to bind by oath," from O.Fr. obligier, from L. obligare, from ob "to" + ligare "to bind," from PIE base *leig- "to bind" (see ligament). Main modern meaning "to make (someone) indebted by conferring a benefit or kindness" is from 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature