ob·li·gate • v. / ˈäbliˌgāt/ 1. bind or compel (someone), esp. legally or morally: the medical establishment is obligated to take action in the best interest of the public.2. [tr.] commit (assets) as security: the money must be obligated within thirty days.• adj. / ˈäbligit/ Biol. restricted to a particular function or mode of life: an obligate intracellular parasite. Often contrasted with facultative.DERIVATIVES: ob·li·ga·tor / -ˌgātər/ n.

obligate (ob-lig-ayt) adj. describing an organism that is restricted to one particular way of life. Compare facultative.

obligate Applied to an organism that can survive only if a particular environmental condition is satisfied. For example, an obligate aerobe can survive only in the presence of air, an obligate parasite only in association with its host.

obligate Applied to an organism that can survive only if a particular environmental condition is satisfied. For example, an obligate aerobe can survive only in the presence of air, an obligate parasite only in association with its host.