sense of obligation

noun phrase

: a feeling that something is the right thing to do
We visited them out of a sense of obligation.

Examples of sense of obligation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is no corporate hand guiding it, no sense of obligation to brand preservation. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026 What may initially feel like flexibility can gradually extend into a sense of obligation, where responsiveness becomes tied to maintaining the relationship. — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Lamarck, who in later life would often express his feelings of grievance against the injustices his colleagues inflicted on him, also had a quick and keen sense of obligation. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 This sense of obligation to the country is accompanied by a down-home humility, frugality, and folksiness. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sense of obligation

Rhymes for sense of obligation

See All Rhymes for sense of obligation

Browse Nearby Words

sense of humor
sense of obligation
sense of rhythm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sense of obligation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sense%20of%20obligation. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All