obligation - definition, thesaurus and related words from WordNet-Online

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Noun obligation has 4 senses

duty, responsibility, obligation - the social force that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by that force; "we must instill a sense of duty in our children"; "every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty"- John D.Rockefeller Jr
--₁ is a kind of social control
--₁ has particulars:

job; guardianship, keeping, safekeeping; moral obligation; noblesse oblige; burden of proof; civic duty, civic responsibility; filial duty; imperative; incumbency; legal duty; line of duty; white man's burden; prerequisite, requirement; requirement, demand

Derived forms: verb obligate₁, verb oblige₁

obligation - the state of being obligated to do or pay something; "he is under an obligation to finish the job"
--₂ is a kind of state
--₂ has particulars: indebtedness, liability, financial obligation
Derived forms: verb obligate₂, verb obligate₃
obligation - a personal relation in which one is indebted for a service or favor
--₃ is a kind of personal relation, personal relationship

Derived form: verb oblige₃
obligation - a legal agreement specifying a payment or action and the penalty for failure to comply
--₄ is a kind of written agreement
--₄ has particulars: debt
Derived forms: verb obligate₃, verb oblige₂