obligation

[ob-li-gey-shuhn] / ˌɒb lɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

NOUN

responsibility

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accountability agreement bond burden commitment constraint contract debt duty liability necessity need promise requirement right trust understanding

STRONG

IOU business call cause charge chit committal compulsion conscience debit devoir dues engagement must occasion onus part place restraint

WEAK

accountableness due bill ought

Antonyms

STRONGEST

asset disagreement disbelief irresponsibility misunderstanding

STRONG

freedom unemployment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Compounding that effect is the message that we have a moral obligation to pay attention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Does the judge have an obligation to solicit rebuttal, or is it counsel’s job to insist on giving it?

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Ethically, though, do I have an obligation to share the wealth, particularly if the payout ends up being at the high end?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus frames that obligation in personal terms.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

In the process, Goldman Sachs created a security so opaque and complex that it would remain forever misunderstood by investors and rating agencies: the synthetic subprime mortgage bond–backed CDO, or collateralized debt obligation.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Vocabulary lists containing obligation

The Diary of Anne Frank

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The Things They Carried

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Freak the Mighty

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