Words / B1

uh-BLYJ/əˈblaɪdʒ/

To oblige is to force someone by a rule or duty: be obliged to. Obligation is already in the dictionary. Force is everyday; require is a close twin. Gender-pay: firms are obliged to publish figures.

Meaning

To force someone to do something by a rule or duty; be obliged to.

Examples

• “Firms are obliged to publish gender-pay figures, not only a slogan.”
• “Happy to oblige is the polite “willing to help” sense — lighter than the legal one.”

Good to know

be obliged to + infinitive. Noun: obligation. Close: require. Law / workplace. Polite: happy to oblige. Not “obligate” as the usual UK verb (US-leaning).

Near in meaning

require

New