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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Obligatio(u)n, n. Also: -atio(u)ne, -acio(u)n(e, -atyowne, -acyo(u)n, -aco(u)n(e, obbligacioun, oblygatio(u)n, -acio(u)n, -acoun, oblegacioun, -atyon, -aytion. [ME. obligacio(u)n (1297), e.m.E. -ation, OF. obligation, -acion (1235 in Godef.), L. obligātio.]

1. The action of binding oneself by oath, promise or contract to do or forbear doing something. Also attrib. 1456 Hay I. 175/5.
He gerris him first mak him obligacioun and faith to kepe prisoun Ib. 179/1, 3.
For and ane ath or obligacioun suld be tane efter the entencioun and judgement of him that makis, than suld never promes na obligacioun bynd a fals man c1515 Asl. MS. I. 195/21.
Quhar thai mak stratest obligacoun & band of pece thar thai dissaif sonest 1594 St. A. Kirk S. 787.
To satisfie … conforme to his awin obligatioun 1599 Ib. 916.
The sessioun suld tak ane obligation of the saidis personis that they suld obey [etc.] —attrib. 1651 Nicoll Diary 46.
The Lyoun proclameth the obligatioun oath to the pepill

2. The action of legally binding oneself or the fact of being legally bound to perform or pay something; a legally binding contract or undertaking, a bond.Passing into b.(1) c1575 Balfour Pract. 149.
Obligatioun is ane band of the law, be the quhilk a man is bund be ressoun of ony debt or contract a1633 Hope Major Pract. ii. 3 § 5; etc. 1681 Stair Inst. i. iii. § 1.
Obligation is a legal tie by which we may be … constrained to pay or perform something(2) 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
That yhe gerre quit owre obligacion of xl libras fra the Erle of Northumbrum be myd somer 1398–9 Liber Melros II. 488.
Gife … trewis be betwix Ingland and Scotland as it was the day of the makynge of this present obligatioun 1402 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 55. c1420 Ratis R. 555.
Thai dar weill bettir traist thar-tyll Than til the empreouris wyll Or till his obligacioune c1420 Wynt. vi. 1032.
Obligatyowne 1443 (1450) Reg. Great S. 86/1.
Conjunctly bundyn be thair obligaciounes 1455 Acts II. 41/1.
Langande dettis & obligacionis of the payment of the quhilkis the termes ar gane 1456 Hay I. 147/23.
In this contract thare is bot ane obligacioun for a ȝeris service 1460 Peebles B. Rec. I. 137.
Obbligacioun 1469 Acta Aud. 8/1.
Obligacoune 1476 Ib. 56/1.
That the said Robert mak his homage & seruice to the said Alexander efter the forme of his obligatioun 1479 Douglas Chart. 110.
Obligacyoun 1525 St. A. Formulare I. 271.
I discharge al bandis actis contractis aithis and obligationis maid to thame a1568 Pedder C. 44.
Ane dyvour coffe … Takis gudis to frist fra fremmit men And brekis his obligatioun 1533–4 Boyd Fam. P. No. 9 (3 Jan.).
That this my present obligatioun … be inserit in the officialis buks of Glasgw 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 206.
The thousand pundis … lent to Monsieur Dosell vpoun his obligatioun 1557 Admir. Ct. Bk. 31. 14.. Acts (1566) To Reader iij.
Lawis … ar … the commoun promeis, band and obligatioun of the realme and of ilk member thairof to vther, efter the quhilk [etc.] 1567 G. Ball. 176.
With dispensationis and obligationis … He wald dispence for money from hence With thame he neuer saw 1585 Laing MSS. I. 50.
I wes fane to tak ane obligatioun of sex hundreth crounis to be payit to my self a 1597 Waus Corr. 541.
Oblegatyon 1622 Lett. Eccl. Affairs 691. 1629 Boyd Last B. 461.
There is God's obligation, whose word is faster than all the writs of men subscribed with a thousand noters 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II. 2.
To produce all the tounes registers of obligatiounes(3) 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 48.
The forsayd Robert oblysis hym … in the maner of oblygacoun as efter folowys 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 419.
Ande vnder all still ande forme that in oblygacion of reson may be maid 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 331.
Ande in the stratast styille and forme of obligatione herapon lettres to be made c 1523 Chart. Coupar A. II. 135.
Wnder the hieast payne and wod of obligatione wsit withtin the realme 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 396. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Cavpes.
And calpe is given be speciall paction and obligation 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 10.
Obligatiovn be way of instrument maid be David Blaikwode … of xviij bollis beir [etc.]

b. The document or deed expressing such a contract or undertaking; a contract, bond or promissory note. Also lettre of obligatioun.(1) 1385 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
Eftyr the tenur of certane endentarys and obligacions the qwylk I ordaynyt thaim to sele 1407 Ib. No. 65.
As owre obligacons … beris witnes c1420 Wynt. v. 4718.
And off this promissyowne He wrate hys obligatyowne And selyd it wyth hys awyne hand 1429 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 10.
Obligacyons 1456 Hay I. 262/23. Ib. 286/2.
Sayand alssua that he has tynt his evidencis and obligaciouns 1460 Peebles B. Rec. I. 137.
Andro Folcart … bad hym schaw hym his obligacioun and he swld ansuer to the obligacioun c1475 Wall. xi. 825. 1480 Acta Conc. I. 68/1.
On the bak of the obligacion 1485 Lennox Mun. 126.
Oblygationis 1492 Acta Conc. I. 264/1.
Complant … for the haldin … of ane obligatioun of Johne Brovnis … the soumez contenit in the samyn beand pait 1494 Loutfut MS. 114 a.
Or wrangus making of letteres … or making of wrangus obligacioun 1498–9 Acta Conc. II. 299. 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 465.
And I sall fix … ane daye of payment With selit oblygatioun 1548 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I.App. lxxxviii.
We bind ws be this howr writing and oblegaytion … to [etc.] 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Syngrapha, handwrit or obligatioun 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 46.
I … obtenit your obligatioun of cautionrie … and letters of captioun 1603 Stirling B. Rec. I. 108. 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 168 b.
My littill chyr kist … quhair my obligatiounes ar lying 1711 Rothesay Par. Rec. 275.
The minister … received … an obligation granted by the deceast … Earle of Bute … in favours of the parish of Rothsay(2) 1478 Acta Aud. 75/2.
His lettre of obligatioun for the malis of the said landis bering [etc.]

c. The fact of having pledged or committed as security (one's goods). = Oblis(s)ing b.Only in the formula under the obligatio(u)n of al one's gudis. 1493 Lennox Mun. 147.
To hald firm and stabill all … our saidis commissaris … doys or ledis to be doyn, vnder the ypotheik and obligatioun of all our guddis 1560 Glasgow Prot.V. 26.

3. Legal or moral constraint or commitment; the condition of being legally or morally committed to some action. 1456 Hay I. 140/5.
Sen a bountee askis ane othir be obligacioun naturale Ib. 182/2.
It is ane obligacioun of na valour to oblis a man till a thing that is our power till him c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 38/22.
Thocht the law of natur & God oblis thus a man to fasting … and that obligacoun is in generale Id. Mir. I. 90/3.
In jlkane of us are twa obligaciounis be the quhilkis we ar oblist to the deite Ib. 91/20. c1590 Fowler II. 118/5.
Love is tyed and bond bot with a knott of obligatioun which … weked men will dissunder 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith 201.
Christ's pardon in like manner doth remove a law-obligation to eternal death 1665 Rothesay B. Rec. 106.
Ther lyeth noe obligatione on them … from the saids oathes