Oblige

Definition: Oblige

Oblige

Verb

1. Force or compel somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form".

2. Bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract' "I'll hold you by your promise".

3. Provide a service or favor for someone; "We had to oblige him".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "oblige" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1588. (references)

Note: Oblige \O*blige"\, transitive verb. [imperative past participle Obliged; present participle verb or noun Obliging.]. (Websters 1913)

Synonyms: Oblige

Aid

Oblige, accommodate, consult the wishes of; humor, cheer, encourage.

Compulsion

Verb: compel, force, make, drive, coerce, constrain, enforce, necessitate, oblige.

Duty

Impose a duty; Noun: enjoin, require, exact; bind, bind over; saddle with, prescribe, assign, call upon, look to, oblige.

Nobility

Phrase: Adel sitzt im Gemuthe nicht im Gebluete; adelig und edel sind zweierlei; noblesse oblige.

Refusal

Phrase: non possumus; your humble servant; bien oblige; not on your life; no way; not even if you beg on your knees.

Crosswords: Oblige

French (obliges).

Oblige me? (High Plains Drifter; writing credit: Ernest Tidyman)

I should like to oblige you, but with people like us, we must be able to travel faster than our clients. (Barry Lyndon; writing credit: Stanley Kubrick)

I realized that your noblesse oblige would not permit you to abandon one of your men. (The Scarlet Pimpernel; writing credit: William Bast; Baroness Emmuska Orczy)

Vitesse oblige (1970)

To Oblige a Lady (1930)

Vérité oblige (1997)

Héritage oblige (1990)

Noblesse oblige (1987)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Allah N'Est Pas Oblige (reference)

• Politesse oblige : le savoir-vivre aujourd'hui (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Contrebasse Oblige (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The power of commanding ends with nonage; and though, after that, honour and respect, support and defence, and whatsoever gratitude can oblige a man to, for the highest benefits he is naturally capable of, be always due from a son to his parents; yet all this puts no scepter into the father's hand, no sovereign power of commanding. (Second Treatise of Government)

If an act of the legislature, repugnant to the constitution, is void, does it, notwithstanding its invalidity, bind the courts, and oblige them to give it effect? Or, in other words, though it be not law, does it constitute a rule as operative as if it was a law? (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

It was not to oblige Jane Fairfax therefore that he would have preferred the society of William Larkins.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Business

New legislation will oblige the substitution and the improvement of old outdated ACR equipment. (references)

These centers have emerged recently due to a move by the Commonwealth Government to oblige private health funds to offer "no-gap" or "known-gap" products. (references)

Finally by 2001, the Ministry of Transports and Communications was to oblige OTE to lease to private companies the use of its land network opening the entire telecommunications market in Greece. (references)

Civil Liberties

Taiwan

Observers noted that licensing requirements oblige prospective radio station owners to have more capital than actually is required to operate a station. (references)

Economic History

Israel

Regulations exist that oblige local distributors to provide customers with full technical support for a period of up to 10 years. (references)

Human Rights

Morocco

The Penal Code stipulates sentences up to life imprisonment for public servants who "use or oblige the use of violence" against others in the exercise of their official duties. (references)

Political Economy

CHINA

China's impending accession to the WTO would oblige it to address comprehensively many trade-distorting practices that limit the access of foreign firms to China's market. (references)

Travel

Bolivia

Taxi fares from the El Alto Airport to La Paz generally run 60 Bs. Within the city, fares average between 6 and 12 Bs, depending on the length of the trip, with small additional charges for extra passengers and for travel after 10 p.m. Rental cars are also available but are expensive; some companies oblige you to hire a driver as well. (references)

Women

Colombia

It allows a judge to oblige an abuser to seek therapy or reeducation. (references)

Worker Rights

Congo

High urban prices and dependent extended families oblige many workers, including teachers and health workers, to seek secondary employment beyond their principal employment. (references)

Paraguay

The ILO and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions have criticized the lack of measures to prevent antiunion discrimination and further have observed that legislation does not oblige labor courts to reinstate unfairly fired trade unionists. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Expressions using "oblige": bien oblige ♦ noblesse oblige ♦ oblige oneself ♦ oblige us with your presence! ♦ oblige with. Additional references.

Albanian

shtrëngoj (bind, brace, buckle, clamp, clasp, clench, clip, clutch, coerce, compel, compress, constrict, enforce, fasten, force, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, hold, hug, jam, keep, pinch, press, restrict, screw, shake, squash, squeeze, strain, strangle, tighten, vice, wring), shërbej (act, attend, avail, fetch and carry, lackey, lacquey, minister, nurse, serve, wait, wait on, wait upon), fut në detyrim, detyroj (bind, bully, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, enforce, entail, force, have, haze, impel, keep, make, move, obligate, outface, pin down, press, push, rack, screw, strong arm, tie), bëj nder (honor, honour, reflect credit upon smb.). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فرض (assess, commit, direct, enforcement, enjoin, force, impel, impose, imposition, order, predicate, prescription, put, require), ‏صنع جميلا, ‏إضطر (be coerced, be compelled, be constrained, be forced, be obliged, coerce, compel, force, have, have to, impel, obligate), ‏أكره ليعمل شىء, ‏ألزم (obligate, prescribe), ‏أجبر (bring, coerce, compel, constrain, drive, force, impress, make, overstrain, pressure, reduce, reset). (various references)

Bulgarian 

услужвам (serve), задължен съм (be obliged, be under an obligation, owe), задължавам (bind, call on, charge, engage, obligate, require), правя услуга на (accommodate), принуждавам (coerce, compel, constrain, drive, force, make, necessitate, overpersuade, pressure, pressurize, reduce, sandbag), признателен съм (acknowledge), изисквам от. (various references)

Chinese 

迫使 (Obliged, obliging). (various references)

Czech

zavázat (enlace, rope, strap up, tie), uložit za povinnost (obligate), prokázat komu laskavost (do smb. a favour), přispìt (assist, chip in, contribute, redound, relieve, succor, succour), nutit (constrain, drive, hustle, impel, press). (various references)

Farsi 

متعهدشدن (Pledge, Plight, Undertake), مجبورکردن (Bludgeon, Compel, Enforce, Necessitate), مرهون ساختن , لطف کردن (Indulgence), وادارکردن (Compel, Enforce, Have, Impel, Induce, Instigate, Persuade). (various references)

Finnish

velvoittaa (bind, put somebody under an obligation). (various references)

French

obliger (obligate), rendre service � , forcer de faire, contraindre (obligate). (various references)

German

verpflichten (be binding, bind, book, carry an obligation, commit, engage, enlist, line up, obligate, place under an obligation, secure, sign on, sign up, to engage, to obligate, to oblige). (various references)

Greek 

υποχρεώνω (bind, compel, obligate). (various references)

Hebrew 

לעשות חס�", לעשות טוב�", לחיב (bind, charge an account, commit, compel, debit, enjoin, necessitate, obligate), ל�"כריח (compel, constrain, dragoon, force, obligate). (various references)

Hungarian

lekötelez (to accommodate, to oblige, to peg down), kötelez (bind, obligate, to bind over, to engage, to obligate, to oblige), kényszerít (coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, force, to apply the screws, to coerce, to compel, to concuss, to constrain, to cow, to fag, to force sy into doing sg, to hijack, to necessitate, to oblige, to put the screws on, to will, to will sy into doing sg). (various references)

Indonesian

mengharuskan. (various references)

Italian

obbligare (bind, command, compel, constrain, engage, force, necessitate, obligate, require, to force). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

有名税 (noblesse oblige, the price of fame). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ゆうめいぜい (noblesse oblige, the price of fame). (various references)

Korean 

은혜를 � 푸십시�". (various references)

Manx

eignaghey (compel, constrain), eginaghey (rape), cur fo booise, cur er (affectation, affectedness, apply, ascribe, compel, devolve, don, impose, imposition, induce, inflict, lead, on occasion, persuade, turn on). (various references)

Pig Latin

obligeay

Portuguese

obrigar (compel, constrain, determine, enforce, force, have, impose, obligate, obliging, put), forçar (bayonet, coerce, compel, enforce, force, obligate, overbear, press, push, put under the screw, send, stretch, tax), favorecer (advance, advantage, befriend, favor, favour, flatter, foment, further, hold up, honor, honour, indulge, pamper, pet, side with, support, take sides), constranger (astrict, compel, concuss, constrain, force, put, urge), compelir (coerce, compel, enforce, force, make, necessitate, press, send). (various references)

Romanian

obliga (bind, coerce, compel, constrain, determine, dictate, enforce, engage, force, make, necessitate, obligate, plight, urge), sili (bind, coerce, compel, constrain, endeavor, endeavour, force, huff, necessitate, push on, squeeze, try, urge), fi obligator, fi de dorit, constrânge (coerce, compel, constrain, force, hold, hustle), îndatora. (various references)

Russian 

обязывать (bind over, call for, obligate, tie). (various references)

Scottish

èasgaidheachd (nf.ind. readiness to oblige), èasgaidh (ready, willing to oblige). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

obavezati (bind, charge, obligate, pin down), zalagati (deceive), prinuditi (bulldoze, coerce, constrain, force, necessitate). (various references)

Spanish

obligar (bind, coerce, compel, constrain, draft, draught, enforce, force, obligate, push, sandbag, tie down, trust). (various references)

Swedish

göra en tjänst, förplikta (bind, compel, force, obligate). (various references)

Thai

ช่วยเหลือ (succor), บังคับ (drive, force, make, push about / around, roll back), ทำบุญคุ�"ให้. (various references)

Turkish

zorunda bırakmak (compel, obligate, reduce), minnettar kılmak, minnettar bırakmak, memnun etmek (charm, comfort, content, gladden, gratify, humor, humour, indulge, make happy, please, rejoice, satisfy, suit), mecbur etmek (coerce, compel, constrain, cow smb. into, force, obligate, pin, pin down, railroad, railroad into doing, reduce, subject), lütfetmek (condescend, deign, do the favor, do the favour, grace, vouchsafe), iyilik etmek (be good towards, do a favor, favour), bağlamak (affiliate, assign, attach, attribute, band, bandage, belay, bend, bind, bond, brace, braid, clasp, colligate, concatenate, conjoin, connect, copulate, cord, couple, do up, engage, enthral, enthrall, fasten, fasten up, fix, fixate, grapple, guy, hitch, hook on, hook up, infix, interconnect, interlink, interlock, inthral, join, knit, knit together, knit up, knot, lace, lace up, lash, lash down, leash, ligature, link, link up, lock, lock up, mediatize, put through, rivet, rope, settle, string, subordinate, switch to, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, truss, unite, Wed). (various references)

Ukrainian

силувати (concuss), робити ласку, робити послугу (show favor), виконувати домашню роботу, зобов'язувати (assign, call for, enjoin, impose, indebt, obligate, tie, tie up), бути вдячним (be beholden), примушувати (bring, cause, coerce, compel, concuss, constrain, enforce, force, squeeze, urge, will), покладати обов'язок, допомагати (abet, accommodate, advantage, assist, avail, beet, benefit, bestead, boot, boot out, cater, forward, lend a hand, promote, see through). (various references)

Welsh

gorfodi (compel). (various references)

adstrictos, adstrictus, adstringens, adstringo, adstrinxissent, commodo, demere, gratificavit, obligans, obligat, obligata, obligati, obligaverit, obligavit, obstrinxerat. (various references)

relier. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "oblige": obliged, obligee, obligees, obliger, obligers, obliges. (additional references)

Words ending with "oblige": disoblige. (additional references)

Words containing "oblige": disobliged, disobliges. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Oblige" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ablage, ablige, Albiger, blige, Boblingen, bollingen, booligal, Nobriga, obige, obilige, obleeg, obleege, oblege, obli, oblidge, obliet, oblig, obligee, obligue, oblive, obloge, Ohlinger, olig, olige, orlogge. (additional references)

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: bilge, bogie, bogle, globe, obeli.

-2 letters: bile, boil, bole, gibe, glib, glob, lobe, loge, ogle.

-3 letters: beg, bel, big, bio, bog, ego, gel, gib, gie, gob, leg, lei, lib, lie, lob, log, obe, obi, oil, ole.

-4 letters: be, bi, bo, el, go, li, lo, oe.

+1 letter: ignoble, obliged, obligee, obliger, obliges.

+2 letters: boweling, elbowing, globbier, obligate, obligees, obligers.

+3 letters: befooling, befouling, beholding, behowling, bellowing, belonging, bigotedly, biologies, bowelling, bricolage, cogitable, corbeling, disoblige, englobing, ennobling, globalise, globalize, globbiest, globefish, ignorable, obelising, obelizing, obligated, obligates, reboiling.

+4 letters: beblooding, becloaking, beclogging, beclothing, beclouding, beclowning, becomingly, beglooming, belaboring, belongings, bibliopegy, bolstering, bricolages, bryologies, clobbering, cognizable, corbelings, corbelling, corrigible, disobliged, disobliges, emboweling, embroiling, euglobulin, exobiology, forgivable, globalised, globalises, globalized, globalizes, gorbellies, hemoglobin, lobstering, negotiable, neighborly, obligately, obsoleting, preboiling, reblooming, rebottling, redoubling, slobbering, zabaglione.