obligation
Other forms: obligations
An obligation is a duty. It's your obligation or responsibility to call your mom on Mother's Day. Sending flowers would be even better.
When you are morally or legally bound to a particular commitment, it's your obligation to follow through on it. If you see a crime taking place, for example, it's your obligation to notify the police. If an elderly person comes onto a full bus, it's your obligation to give up your seat for him. Sometimes when you enter a formal agreement with someone involving money, you might have to sign an obligation that states you are committed to paying back what you've borrowed.
Definitions of obligation
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the state of being obligated to do or pay something“he is under an obligation to finish the job”
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types:
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financial obligation, indebtedness, liability
an obligation to pay money to another party
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limited liability
the liability of a firm's owners for no more than the capital they have invested in the firm
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debt
the state of owing something (especially money)
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arrears
the state of being behind in payments
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account payable, payable
a liability account showing how much is owed for goods and services purchased on credit
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scot and lot
obligations of all kinds taken as a whole
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type of:
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state
the way something is with respect to its main attributes
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the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force“every opportunity, an obligation”
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synonyms:
duty, responsibility
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types:
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job
the responsibility to do something
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guardianship, keeping, safekeeping
the responsibility of a guardian or keeper
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moral obligation
an obligation arising out of considerations of right and wrong
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noblesse oblige
the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous (often used ironically)
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burden of proof
the duty of proving a disputed charge
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civic duty, civic responsibility
the responsibilities of a citizen
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filial duty
duty of a child to its parents
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imperative
some duty that is essential and urgent
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incumbency
a duty that is incumbent upon you
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legal duty
acts which the law requires be done or forborne
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line of duty
all that is normally required in some area of responsibility
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white man's burden
the supposed responsibility of the white race to provide care for their non-white subjects
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prerequisite, requirement
something that is required in advance
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demand, requirement
required activity
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custody, hands
(with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
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jury duty
the civic duty to serve on a jury
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fiduciary duty
the legal duty of a fiduciary to act in the best interests of the beneficiary
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obedience, respect
behavior intended to please your parents
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precondition
a condition that is a prerequisite
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academic requirement
a requirement for admission to or completion of an academic program
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essential condition, sine qua non
a prerequisite
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type of:
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social control
control exerted (actively or passively) by group action
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a personal relation in which one is indebted for a service or favor
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synonyms:
indebtedness
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type of:
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personal relation, personal relationship
a relation between persons
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personal relation, personal relationship
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a written promise to repay a debt
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synonyms:
certificate of indebtedness, debt instrument
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types:
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cash equivalent
a highly liquid debt instrument with maturities of less than three months
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CD, certificate of deposit
a debt instrument issued by a bank; usually pays interest
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note, note of hand, promissory note
a promise to pay a specified amount on demand or at a certain time
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floater
a debt instrument with a variable interest rate tied to some other interest rate (e.g. the rate paid by T-bills)
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bond, bond certificate
a certificate of debt (usually interest-bearing or discounted) that is issued by a government or corporation in order to raise money; the issuer is required to pay a fixed sum annually until maturity and then a fixed sum to repay the principal
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bond issue
bonds sold by a corporation or government agency at a particular time and identifiable by date of maturity
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convertible bond
a bond that can be converted to other securities under certain conditions
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corporate bond
a bond issued by a corporation; carries no claim to ownership and pays no dividends but payments to bondholders have priority over payments to stockholders
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bearer bond, coupon bond
a bond issued with detachable coupons that must be presented to the issuer for interest payments
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government bond
a bond that is an IOU of the United States Treasury; considered the safest security in the investment world
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high-yield bond, junk bond
a (speculative) bond with a credit rating of BB or lower; issued for leveraged buyouts and other takeovers by companies with questionable credit
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municipal bond
a bond issued by a state or local government
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noncallable bond
a bond containing a provision that the holder cannot redeem the security before a specific date (usually at maturity)
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performance bond, surety bond
a bond given to protect the recipient against loss in case the terms of a contract are not filled; a surety company assumes liability for nonperformance
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post-obit bond
a bond made by a reversioner to secure a loan; payable out of his reversion
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registered bond
a bond whose owner is recorded on the books of the issuer; can be transferred to another owner only when endorsed by the registered owner
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revenue bond
a bond issued by an agency that is commissioned to finance public works; revenue from the public property is used to pay off the bond
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secured bond
a bond that is back by collateral
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debenture, debenture bond, unsecured bond
the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future
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zero coupon bond, zero-coupon bond
a bond that is issued at a deep discount from its value at maturity and pays no interest during the life of the bond; the commonest form of zero-coupon security
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time deposit
a certificate of deposit from which withdrawals can be made only after advance notice or at a specified future date
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demand note
a note payable on demand
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note receivable
your right in a promissory note in which the maker promises to pay a certain amount of money at a certain time
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note payable
a note promising to pay a certain amount of money at a certain time
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commercial paper
an unsecured and unregistered short-term obligation issued by an institutional borrower to investors who have temporarily idle cash
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municipal note
a municipal debt instrument with a maturity of less than 2 years
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IOU
an informal debt instrument; representing `I owe you'
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time note
a note that specifies the time (or times) of repayment
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Premium Bond
a government bond that bears no interest or capital gains but enters the holder into lotteries
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type of:
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document
a written account of ownership or obligation
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a legal agreement specifying a payment or action and the penalty for failure to comply
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types:
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debt
an obligation to pay or do something
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type of:
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written agreement
a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties
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debt
Pronunciation
US
/ˈɑbləˌgeɪʃən/
UK
/ɒblɪˈgeɪʃɪn/
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Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing obligation
The Diary of Anne Frank
This dramatic adaptation of the diary of a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis won both a Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
Flowers for Algernon
Charlie Gordon goes through an experimental treatment to increase his intelligence, with unexpected and ultimately tragic results.
The Alchemist
Santiago is a young Andalusian shepherd whose desire for a different life leads him on a journey of self-discovery.