Etymology

obligate

ob·li·gate
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Today it means: To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie. Full definition →

First used 19th c.Latin obligātus
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obligate · verb1

  1. Latin · borrowed fromobligātus
  2. English todayobligate

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.

obligate · adjective, noun2

  1. Latin · borrowed fromobligātus
  2. Middle English · inherited fromobligat(e)“bound (by any obligation), obliged”
  3. English todayobligate

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.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. Requiring a (specified) way of life, habitat, etc.
  • up to 17th c. Bound by oath, law or duty.
  • from 20th c. An obligate organism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.