What does "obligate" mean?
An obligate organism.
Obligate
/ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An obligate organism.
- Grammar: obligate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bind, compel, accept obligation, agree to.
- Useful contrasts: disobliged, exempt, facultative.
- Usage evidence: Many methanogenic Archaea are obligate anaerobes.
How to use "obligate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "obligate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "obligate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "obligate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "obligate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "obligate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bind" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "obligate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An obligate organism.
Verb
- 1 To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie. transitive
"That progress has taken over ten years and £20 million to bring to fruition. But, as Mands explains, the journey has been one that HSG has been almost obligated to undertake. "First and foremost, this is an environmental project," she says."
- 2 bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted wordnet
- 3 To cause to be grateful or indebted; to oblige. Canada, Scotland, US, transitive
- 4 commit in order to fulfill an obligation wordnet
- 5 To commit (money, for example) in order to fulfill an obligation. Canada, Scotland, US, transitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 force somebody to do something wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Requiring a (specified) way of life, habitat, etc.
"[A]nalysis of the chemical composition of their bones reveals that they were obligate carnivores."
- 2 Indispensable; essential; necessary; obligatory; mandatory; unavoidably invoked.
"In addition to being the obligate food source for monarch caterpillars, milkweeds also provide abundant nectar for the adult butterflies."
- 3 Bound by oath, law or duty. obsolete
"The Law sayith, Mack a mendis for thy synne. The Father of Heaven is wraith wyth thee. Quhair is thy rychteousnes, goodnes, and satisfactioun ? Thou art bound and obligat unto me, [to] the devill, and [to] hell."
Adjective
- 1 restricted to a particular condition of life wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Many methanogenic Archaea are obligate anaerobes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "obligate"?
Common synonyms include: bind, compel, accept obligation, agree to, answer for, be answerable for.
How do you use "obligate" in a sentence?
Many methanogenic Archaea are obligate anaerobes.
How do you pronounce "obligate"?
Pronounced /ˈɒb.lɪˌɡeɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.
Etymology 2
Partly inherited from Middle English obligat(e) (“bound (by any obligation), obliged”), partly directly borrowed from Latin obligātus, see Etymology 1, -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more.