More on
obligate/oblige:
According to this US source, they are synonyms only in the meaning
3b:
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obligate
Function:
transitive verb
Etymology:Latin
obligatus, past participle of
obligare to oblige -- more at
OBLIGE
1 obsolete : BIND, FASTEN
2 a : to pledge as security
b : to assign or commit (as funds) to meet a particular
obligation <the treasury had
obligated anticipated receipts from the new tax>
3 a :
to constrain or bind to some course of action (as by legal measures,
moral or social considerations, or force of circumstances) <
obligated to pay alimony> <community life
obligates each of us to certain restraints and conformities>
b : OBLIGE 3a <hoping to
obligate enough of his colleagues to put over the measure> <I don't like to be
obligated to anybody>
4 : to put under a promise, vow, or oath especially as part of a ceremony of initiation into an organization
http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (30 Jan. 2007).
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According to the SOED, obligate still exists in BrE with the formal meaning at 3, but not the one at 4:
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obligate
1-2 (obsolete meanings)
3 Bind a person (morally or legally). Usually in passive, be bound or compelled (to do).
4. Confer a favor on, place under an obligation; oblige. Usually in passive. Now chiefly dialect and North America.
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
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