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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.” But in other common uses, 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
Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
Democratic State Senator Ben Allen, who sponsored the bill, and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara initially pushed for insurers to be obliged to pay out 100 percent of an owner’s personal property coverage limit, but the bill was amended after pushback from the industry.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Many were obliged to exit the Russian market and unravel complex supply chains, resulting in losses amounting to billions of dollars.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
In South Florida, plenty of protesters obliged.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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oblige
verb
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