obligated
(North America, Scottish) Having an obligation; obliged.
Seen in the wild
It's Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday so I feel morally obligated to get tacos for dinner tonight. It's also my bi-weekly Tuesday of weeknight drinking with friends, so I foresee a margarita in my future.
right like....it's pretty clear it's overall a good thing to have, especially considering the multiple examples of abuse we've been shown happening in great hall ateliers which arent obligated to have a watchful eye
hard to narrow it down to just one, but, being a bird, im obligated to pick oviposition :>
The Secretary of State’s consulted the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and determined the state was legally obligated to provide the data.
Not obligated to share this stuff online but I think its better for me to talk about it than to not talk about it
Definitions
(North America, Scottish) Having an obligation; obliged.
“It's Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday so I feel morally obligated to get tacos for dinner tonight. It's also my bi-weekly Tuesday of weeknight drinking with friends, so I foresee a margarita in my future.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“right like....it's pretty clear it's overall a good thing to have, especially considering the multiple examples of abuse we've been shown happening in great hall ateliers which arent obligated to have a watchful eye”
— Bluesky· May 2026“hard to narrow it down to just one, but, being a bird, im obligated to pick oviposition :>”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The Secretary of State’s consulted the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and determined the state was legally obligated to provide the data.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Not obligated to share this stuff online but I think its better for me to talk about it than to not talk about it”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(North America, Scottish) Committed.
Obligated means: Committed.. It is mainly Scottish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
obligated means: Committed.. Register: informal, Scottish English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Comments
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "obligated".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "obligated" (O)
Browse all slang words starting with O.