obligatus

Obligatus is a masculine form of a Latin adjective meaning bound, obligated, or compelled. The term derives from ob- (toward) and ligare (to bind), and it appears in classical Latin texts as well as in modern scientific and legal Latin phrases. Variants such as obligata and obligatum exist to agree with grammatical gender and number.

In taxonomy and biological nomenclature, obligatus is used as a specific epithet in the binomial names of various organisms. It is one of many Latin epithets employed by taxonomists and does not denote a single universal trait shared by all species bearing the name. Instead, its selection reflects the describer’s choice and may refer to a perceived characteristic, a locality, a person’s name, or simply an arbitrary designation at the time of description. Because the epithet is not standardized across taxa, species with the epithet obligatus can be found in diverse groups such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, without implying a common lineage or feature.

Beyond biology, obligatus appears in legal and scholarly Latin to describe someone bound by an obligation or duty. In general usage, the word retains the sense of being constrained or committed to a set of duties or promises. In all contexts, obligatus communicates the notion of being tied to an obligation.