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If you are obliged by a rule or law you are metaphorically bound by it—that is, you are required to obey it. The idea of binding links the word to its Latin source, ligāre, meaning “to fasten, bind.” In the most common modern uses of oblige, though, the idea of binding is somewhat masked: it is applied when someone is bound by a debt for some favor or service, as in “We’re much obliged to you for the help,” but in the phrase “happy to oblige” it simply expresses a willingness to do someone a favor, as in “They needed a ride and we were happy to oblige.”
Examples of oblige in a Sentence
Ted Reed, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Wolff said Xi may not be ready to take Taiwan by force yet as there are other hotspots in the South China Sea where the U.S. potentially would be obliged to intervene against Chinese belligerence, such as the Philippines.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
The former Spain boss quickly sought to instil new codes of discipline, notably obliging all of his players — whether fit or injured — to sign in at the PSG Campus before every training session or risk not being selected for the next match.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The young bird happily obliged to being weighed by Birds of Prey staff, according to a post on X from Broomfield police.
—Graeme Taskerud, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oblige
Cite this Entry
“Oblige.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblige. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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oblige
verb
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