ob ‧ li ‧ ga ‧ tion W3 /ˌɒbləˈɡeɪʃ ə n, ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃ ə n $ ˌɑːb-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
a moral or legal duty to do something
obligation to
America’s obligation to its allies
Employers have an obligation to treat all employees equally.
Parents are under a legal obligation to educate their children.
You are under no obligation to buy any more books.
Greater resources are needed to meet these obligations.
the rights and obligations imposed on them by treaties
The government must pay for health care for war veterans – it is an obligation we owe to them.
a moral obligation to help the poor
He stayed with the team out of a sense of obligation.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have an obligation
Citizens have an obligation to obey the law.
▪ feel an obligation
When his mother died, he felt an obligation to continue her work.
▪ meet/fulfil/honour an obligation (=do something that you have a duty to do )
The company has been unable to meet its financial obligations.
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All member states must fulfil their obligations according to the EC treaty.
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The government failed to honour its obligations under the terms of the agreement.
▪ impose an obligation formal (=put someone in the position of having an obligation)
A contract imposes certain obligations on employees and employers.
▪ owe an obligation to somebody formal (=have an obligation to support, help etc someone)
He owed an obligation of loyalty to his king.
▪ an obligation arises formal (=starts to exist)
the obligations arising out of the treaty
■ phrases
▪ be under an obligation (=have an obligation)
The landlord is under an obligation to repair the house.
▪ be under no obligation
An accused man is under no obligation to say anything.
▪ a sense of obligation
the sense of obligation that you feel towards your family
■ adjectives
▪ a moral/legal/social obligation
We have a moral obligation to take care of our environment.
▪ a statutory obligation formal (=something that the law says must be done)
The Local Authority has a statutory obligation to provide education.
▪ a contractual obligation (=something that a contract says you must do)
The company must refund your money in line with their contractual obligations.
▪ a binding obligation (=something that you must legally do, especially because of an agreement)
These clauses are legally binding obligations on both parties.