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What is the difference between obligation and responsibility?

obligation | responsibility |

As nouns the difference between obligation and responsibility

is that obligation is the act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone while responsibility is the state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable.

obligation

English

(wikipedia obligation)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
  • A social, legal, or moral requirement, duty, contract, or promise that compels someone to follow or avoid a particular course of action.
  • A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which someone is bound or restricted.
  • (legal) A legal agreement stipulating a specified payment or action; the document containing such agreement.
    • X shall be entitled to subcontract its obligation to provide the Support Services. <>
  • * 1668 December 19, , “Mr.'' Alexander Seaton ''contra'' Menzies” in ''The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575
    • The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Di?charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extingui?h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and con?equently of all the re?t, they being all correi debendi , lyable by one individual Obligation , which cannot be Di?charged as to one, and ?tand as to all the re?t.

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives often used with "obligation": moral, legal, social, contractual, political, mutual, military, perpetual, etc.

    Synonyms

    * duty

    Antonyms

    * right

    Related terms

    * obligate * obligated * obligational * obligato * obligatorily * oblige * obligee * obliger * obliging * obligingly * obligingness * obligor

    responsibility

    English

    Noun

    (responsibilities)
  • The state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable.
    • Responsibility is a heavy burden.
  • A duty, obligation or liability for which someone is held accountable.
    • Why didn't you clean the house? That was your responsibility !
    The responsibility of the great states is to serve and not to dominate the world -
  • (military) The obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion. With responsibility goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success. (JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms).
  • (military) The obligation for the proper custody, care, and safekeeping of property or funds entrusted to the possession or supervision of an individual. (JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms).

    • Synonyms

    * responsibleness

    Related terms

    * respond * response * responsible * responsibly

    See also

    * accountability

    References

    * * * Feltus, C.; Petit, M. (2009). "Building a Responsibility Model Including Accountability, Capability and Commitment", Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security'', Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ), Fukuoka, 2009. ''Building a Responsibility Model Including Accountability, Capability and Commitment