obligated

Obligated is an adjective meaning bound by a duty, contract, or law, or compelled to act. It also serves as the past participle of the verb obligate, meaning to bind someone legally or morally to a course of action. For example, a contract may obligate a supplier to deliver by a specified date, and an individual may feel obligated to report a problem or assist a colleague.

Etymology traces obligated to the Latin obligatus, the past participle of obligare “to bind,” formed from ob- “toward” and ligare “to bind,” and it entered English via Old French and Middle English. The sense has long centered on binding conditions that impose a duty or constraint.

Usage notes: The phrase “to be obligated to” signals a formal or legal duty, while “to feel obligated” can describe a moral or social pressure. In American English, obligated is commonly used in legal, business, and technical contexts. In British English, obliged is often preferred in similar contexts, and “obliged” can also convey a polite sense—as in “I would be obliged if you could assist.” The expression “under no obligation” indicates there is no duty to act.

See also: obligation (the duty itself), obligate (the verb), obligor and obligee (legal terms), obligatory (adjective meaning required by duty or custom). Related synonyms include required, compelled, and bound; related antonyms include voluntary and optional.