oblige
verb/əˈblaɪd͡ʒ/ · /əˈbliːd͡ʒ/
Etymology From Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, obliger, from Latin obligō, obligāre, from ob- + ligō. Doublet of obligate, taken straight from Latin.
1
To constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means.
- Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
- I am obliged to report to the police station every week.
1 more example
- Tho' he was some time awake before me, yet did he not offer to disturb a repose he had given me so much occasion for; but on my first stirring, which was not till past ten o'clock, I was oblig'd to endure one more trial of his manhood.1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:
2
To do (someone) a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation).
- He obliged me by not parking his car in the drive.
- The singer obliged(us) with an encore.
1 more example
- In the mean time I have another trouble to give you, if you will oblige me in it; and that is to get me a sight of the famous Orrery, which I have heard you and others so often speak of; and which I think was made by Mr. Rowley, the famous Mathematical Instrument-Maker.1719, John Harris, Astronomical dialogues between a gentleman and a lady, page 151:
3
To cause somebody to feel indebted.
- I am much obliged to you for your recent help.
- Derived terms
- disoblige, misoblige, obligable, obligement, reoblige
- Related terms
- liable, much obliged, noblesse oblige, obligate, obligation, obligatory, obligee, obligor, rely