{
    "term": "oblige",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "oblige",
            "heSheIt": "obliges"
        },
        "pastSimple": "obliged",
        "pastParticiple": "obliged",
        "ingForm": "obliging"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to force somebody to do something, by law, because it is a duty, etc.",
            "sensetop": "oblige somebody to do something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Parents are obliged by law to send their children to school."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I **felt obliged** to ask them to dinner."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He suffered a serious injury that obliged him to give up work."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Libel plaintiffs are virtually obliged to go into the witness box."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Employees should not feel obliged to work extra hours."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the UK, you are not obliged to carry any form of identification."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Ministers are obliged to declare their personal interests."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was annoyed that she had felt obliged to explain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Suppliers aren't legally obliged to provide a warranty."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The landlord is obliged to give tenants 24 hours' notice of a visit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We felt obliged to sit with them."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to help somebody by doing what they ask or what you know they want",
            "sensetop": "oblige somebody (with something)oblige somebody (by doing something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Call me if you need any help—I'd be **happy to oblige**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Would you oblige me with some information?",
                    "contextForm": "oblige somebody (with something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Oblige me by keeping your suspicions to yourself.",
                    "contextForm": "oblige somebody (by doing something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The fans were looking for another goal and Kane duly obliged."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["duly", "kindly", "gladly"],
                "verb + oblige": ["be glad to", "be happy to", "be pleased to"],
                "preposition": ["by", "with"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒ/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/oblige__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒɪz/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliges__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒd/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliged__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliging__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒ/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/oblige__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒɪz/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliges__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒd/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliged__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ob/oblige/obliging__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (in the sense ‘bind by oath’): from Old French obliger, from Latin obligare, from ob- ‘towards’ + ligare ‘to bind’."
}