verb

• 1Make (someone) legally or morally bound to do something.

  ‘doctors are obliged by law to keep patients alive while there is a chance of recovery’

  More example sentences

  • ‘This September, I am legally obliged to renew my driver's licence.’
  • ‘His hands were completely tied on this one, and those who now criticise him for doing what he was legally obliged to do are being unfair in the extreme to him.’
  • ‘‘I was brought up thinking work is something you are morally obliged to do,’ as one older man put it.’
  • ‘The council will launch its annual registration drive at the end of August, and people are legally obliged to respond.’
  • ‘The principal drawback of a limited company is that you are legally obliged to file specific information in the Companies Office.’
  • ‘In that way it was seen that the medical expenses incurred by the father could also be recovered if the father was legally obliged to pay them.’
  • ‘Mr Butterfield was not a blood relative of Lady Hulton, and was not a person for whom she or any other members of the Reynolds' family was morally obliged to provide.’
  • ‘The children just happened to be the beneficiaries of that exercise that she was legally obliged to provide because she was the mother.’
  • ‘The Dudleian lecturers insisted that natural religion pointed to a moral law that men were obliged to follow.’
  • ‘We live in a world in which there are many moral laws that people are obliged to conform to.’
  • ‘British law obliges a parent, once his child is registered at a school, to ensure that he attends regularly; any white parent who kept his child away for so long would undoubtedly be prosecuted and punished.’
  • ‘If the law obliges us to pay our taxes, do the news and the weather, then we will.’
  • ‘Under the law, we were obliged to publish the paper within three months, failing which the permission would lapse.’
  • ‘Under the new law, parents are obliged to register their new born babies within 60 days of their birth.’
  • ‘Doctors and nurses were obliged to attend to patients so they could not be blamed for admitting the patients.’
  • ‘No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God.’
  • ‘Women are also obliged to do military service, but are not required to serve in combat units.’
  • ‘The reason for this exemption, according to the reasoning of the bill, is the lack of an international standard and practice obliging such persons to report suspicious operations and transactions.’
  • ‘We are obliged to counsel for their assistance in this matter.’

  Synonyms

  require, compel, bind, make, constrain, obligate, force, put under an obligation, leave someone no option, impel, coerce, pressure, pressurize

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1with object Do as (someone) asks or desires in order to help or please them.
     ‘ oblige me by not being sorry for yourself’
     More example sentences

     • ‘tell me what you want to know and I'll see if I can oblige’
     • ‘Please oblige by suggesting the proper food style, life style and other things to avoid further blocks.’
     • ‘‘If you wish to embrace me, Maria, you know I will be only too pleased to oblige you,’ replied James, his voice low and teasing.’
     • ‘Unfortunately, a lack of research funding and other assistance made it impossible to oblige him, but we had a lively conversation.’
     • ‘Compilers of match programmes will confirm that as soon as they pick an all-action shot of a striker in full flight he will duly oblige by picking up a groin strain 48 hours before the kick off.’
     • ‘If someone would kindly oblige by printing a diary bearing the main York bus routes, we shall be delighted to buy some and send them to all our acquaintances in London.’
     • ‘And if there is no one to pass the umbrella on to, Mother Nature can always oblige by helping it fly off in that one strong gust of wind.’
     • ‘Nor would the Virgin Queen oblige by naming a successor, but left her ministers to do it in defiance of English laws and at some risk to themselves.’
     • ‘The Romanians were happy to tackle all day and the Scots appeared happy to oblige by running at them for the full 80 minutes.’
     • ‘He waits for this to sink in, and I oblige by widening my eyes and licking my chapped lips.’
     • ‘You can mix and match, and the head waiter will be only too pleased to oblige with special offerings, if you ask the day before, at no extra charge.’
     • ‘To return to my need: please, can someone oblige with practical advice?’
     • ‘Photos of interest would be most welcome so if you can oblige please do.’
     • ‘If you don't have a boat, or prefer to make use of local expertise, there are a number of hardboat skippers who will be only too pleased to oblige.’
     • ‘They asked for Abel as a playmate and companion to begin with and Mr Davis was pleased to oblige.’
     • ‘She had been obliged by his threats to seek accommodation elsewhere.’
     • ‘Certain gestures could also serve as distress signals, obliging fellow Masons to come to the aid of a ‘Brother.’’
     • ‘Naturally, her husband was very pleased and only too happy to oblige with the ‘work.’’
     • ‘Sensing that the umpire didn't share his wicked sense of humour, Gibbs obliged but put his jumper on inside out, hiding his number.’
     • ‘I obliged lovingly, extremely pleased that the water dragon had come right away.’
     • ‘Dressed in all black and sporting a new look for his next film with Shankar, the actor was his usual calm self, meeting industry colleagues, giving quick television bytes and obliging fans with autographs.’
     Synonyms

     do someone a favour, do someone a kindness, do someone a service, accommodate, indulge, gratify, gratify the wishes of, help, assist, serve, humour, meet the needs of, meet the wants of, put oneself out for

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2be obligedBe indebted or grateful.
     ‘if you can give me a few minutes of your time I'll be much obliged’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.’
     • ‘I shall be much obliged if you would give me an opportunity for an interview.’
     • ‘If you or anyone else can help me to sort out the security issues I would be much obliged.’
     • ‘We fail to understand exactly where this humour lies, and would be much obliged if would care to enlighten us.’
     • ‘We are much obliged to all and promise always to do our best to embody human dreams about flying possibilities.’
     • ‘Your Honour, I am obliged and I will return to that, if I may, when we look more closely at the subscription agreement.’
     Synonyms

     thankful, grateful, appreciative

     thank you, thanks, many thanks, thanks a lot, thanks very much, thank you kindly

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  3. 1.3archaic with object Bind (someone) by an oath, promise, or contract.
     More example sentences

     • ‘my father had obliged me to the improvement of my stock’