verb -gat⋅ed, -gat⋅ing, adjective | 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. |
| 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 ). |
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.
| 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. |