Oblige

How to spell oblige

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce oblige

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does oblige mean?

1. verbTo do something as a favour or service for someone, often in response to a request.
2. verbTo make someone legally or morally bound to do something.

Oblige in a sentence

• The waiter was happy to oblige when she asked for extra napkins.

• The contract will oblige the tenant to pay for any damage.

• If the customer needs a refund, we will oblige without complaint.

• A sense of duty can oblige a person to repay every debt.

Where does oblige come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin obligare, meaning 'to bind' or 'to tie up', formed from the prefix ob-, here carrying the sense of 'toward' or 'against', and the verb ligare, which literally meant 'to bind' or 'to tie'. In Roman usage it described being bound by a legal or moral duty, the idea of a person tied down by a promise or obligation. English took the word in during the 1300s through Old French obliger, keeping both the legal sense and a softer social one of doing someone a favour to which they then feel bound. The same ligare root binds together a surprising family of English words, including 'ligament' (the tissue that ties bones), 'league', and 'liable'. Remembering that hidden lig 'to bind' helps explain why the word is spelled with a g rather than the j sound it produces, and why the related noun is 'obligation'.

How the word is built

• ob- (toward, against)
• lig (to bind, from Latin ligare)
• -e