obligation

1. The social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force (synset 101132241)
   "we must instill a sense of duty in our children"; "every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty"
   is a type of: social control - control exerted (actively or passively) by group action
   subtypes:

   • job - the responsibility to do something
   • guardianship, keeping, safekeeping - the responsibility of a guardian or keeper
   • moral obligation - an obligation arising out of considerations of right and wrong
   • noblesse oblige - the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous (often used ironically)
   • burden of proof - the duty of proving a disputed charge
   • civic duty, civic responsibility - the responsibilities of a citizen
   • filial duty - duty of a child to its parents
   • imperative - some duty that is essential and urgent
   • incumbency - a duty that is incumbent upon you
   • legal duty - acts which the law requires be done or forborne
   • line of duty - all that is normally required in some area of responsibility
   • white man's burden - the supposed responsibility of the white race to provide care for their non-white subjects
   • prerequisite, requirement - something that is required in advance
   • demand, requirement - required activity
   same as: duty, responsibility
2. The state of being obligated to do or pay something (synset 114513694)
   "he is under an obligation to finish the job"
   is a type of: state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes
   subtypes: financial obligation, indebtedness, liability - an obligation to pay money to another party
3. A personal relation in which one is indebted for a service or favor (synset 113804245)
   is a type of: personal relation, personal relationship - a relation between persons
   same as: indebtedness
4. A written promise to repay a debt (synset 113419414)
   is a type of: document - a written account of ownership or obligation
   subtypes:

   • cash equivalent - a highly liquid debt instrument with maturities of less than three months
   • cd, certificate of deposit - a debt instrument issued by a bank; usually pays interest
   • note, note of hand, promissory note - a promise to pay a specified amount on demand or at a certain time
   • floater - a debt instrument with a variable interest rate tied to some other interest rate (e.g. the rate paid by T-bills)
   • bond, bond certificate - a certificate of debt (usually interest-bearing or discounted) that is issued by a government or corporation in order to raise money; the issuer is required to pay a fixed sum annually until maturity and then a fixed sum to repay the principal
   same as: certificate of indebtedness, debt instrument
5. A legal agreement specifying a payment or action and the penalty for failure to comply (synset 106785951)
   is a type of: written agreement - a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties
   subtypes: debt - an obligation to pay or do something

Other Searches

• Rhyme: Dillfrog, RhymeZone
• Definition: Wiktionary, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, Merriam-Webster, WordNet, Power Thesaurus
• Imagery: Google, Flickr, Bing