obligate adj : restricted to a particular condition of life; "an obligate anaerobe can survive only in the absence of OXYGen" [ant: facultative]

1 force or compel somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form" [syn: compel, oblige]

2 commit in order to fulfill an obligation; "obligate money"

3 bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise" [syn: oblige, bind, hold]

English

Pronunciation

• a US sense verb , /ˈɑblɪgeɪt/ /"AblIgeIt/

sense adjective , /ˈɑblɪgət/ /"AblIg@t/

• a UK sense verb , /ˈɒblɪgeɪt/ /"QblIgeIt/

Verb

1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force.
2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige.
3. To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation.

Derived terms

• obligation
• obligatory

Translations

Obligate could be:

• A verb (see obligation)
• An adjective meaning "by necessity" (antonym facultative) and used mostly in biology, especially in the phrases:
  • Obligate parasite, a parasite that cannot survive without its host
  • Obligate aerobe, an organism that cannot survive without oxygen
  • Obligate anaerobe, an organism that cannot survive in the presence of oxygen
  • Obligate air-breather, a complex organism which obtains required oxygen directly from the atmosphere through respiration rather than extracting dissolved oxygen from water, as, for example, the South American lungfish

See also

• Facultative

accept obligation, agree to, answer for, be answerable for, be responsible for, be security for, bind, commit, compel, constrain, contract, engage, force, go bail for, have an understanding, make imperative, make incumbent, oblige, pledge, require, saddle with, shake hands on, take the vows, tie, undertake