obligate

CEFRB2

/ˈɒb.lɪ.ɡɪt/

verb · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To force someone to do something by duty or agreement.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige.

Examples

  • You're an obligate carnivore! You don't want my salad, cat!

  • Many methanogenic Archaea are obligate anaerobes.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈɑ.blɪ.ɡɪt/
  • /ˈɑ.blɪˌɡeɪt/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.

  2. To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Requiring a (specified) way of life, habitat, etc.

More examples

In context

  • In addition to being the obligate food source for monarch caterpillars, milkweeds also provide abundant nectar for the adult butterflies.

  • In some languages such signaling is optional, whereas in others it is obligate.

  • [A]nalysis of the chemical composition of their bones reveals that they were obligate carnivores.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The signed contract will blank the company to pay for all accident damages.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.