The spelling of the word "obligate" can be quite confusing due to its pronunciation. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /ˈɑbləˌɡeɪt/. The first two letters "ob" are pronounced as "ahb," while the "li" is pronounced as "ih." The "ga" is pronounced as "gay," and the final "te" is pronounced as "tay." The word means to bind or compel, and is often used in legal or moral contexts. Despite its tricky spelling, it is an important word in many fields.
Obligate is a verb that can be used both in a transitive and intransitive form. In its basic sense, it refers to the act of binding oneself to do something through a legal, moral, or social responsibility. It implies a sense of duty or compulsion towards fulfilling a particular obligation or commitment.
In a transitive form, to obligate means to require someone to perform a particular action or fulfill a particular duty. For instance, a contract might obligate one party to deliver goods to another party within a specified timeframe. It signifies a binding agreement or arrangement that necessitates compliance.
In an intransitive sense, to obligate oneself means to voluntarily commit or promise to carry out a certain course of action. This commitment can be driven by ethical, honor-based, or moral factors. For example, an individual may obligate themselves to assist a friend in need, which establishes a sense of moral responsibility towards providing necessary aid.
Obligate can also be used as an adjective, describing something that is obligatory or compulsory in nature. In this sense, it indicates a requirement or duty that must be fulfilled. For instance, certain legal statutes may create obligate obligations for individuals or organizations to follow in order to remain compliant with the law.
Overall, the term oblige suggests an enforced or self-imposed duty or responsibility, highlighting the notion of a compelling need to fulfill an obligation, whether it is legally or morally binding.
Of necessity, compulsory; distinguished from facultative.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "obligate" comes from the Latin verb "obligare", which is a combination of "ob" meaning "toward" or "in the direction of", and "ligare" meaning "to bind". Hence, "obligate" originally meant "to bind", suggesting a sense of duty or commitment. Over time, its meaning evolved to refer to a person or organism being compelled or required to do something due to moral, legal, or biological obligations.