obligation

n. duty responsibility; indebtedness; agreement

An obligation is a requirement to take some course of action. It can be legal or moral. There are also obligations in other normative contexts, such as obligations of etiquette, social obligations, and possibly the In terms of politics, obligations are requirements that are to fulfill. These are generally in the form of legal obligations, which incur a penalty for lack of fulfillment, although certain people are obliged to carry out certain actions for other reasons as well, which can be due to tradition or social reasons. Obligations vary from person to person, for example, a person holding a political office will generally have far more obligations than an average adult citizen, who themselves will have more obligations than a child. Obligations are generally granted in return for an increase in an individual’s rights or power.
See more at Wikipedia.org...

n. obligation, duty responsibility; indebtedness, bond, certificate of debt

n. obligation, duty; trust, bond, engagement, commitment

(n.)
The state of being obligated or bound; the state of being indebted for an act of favor or kindness; as, to place others under obligations to one.
  

(n.)
The act of obligating.
  

(n.)
That which obligates or constrains; the binding power of a promise, contract, oath, or vow, or of law; that which constitutes legal or moral duty.
  

(n.)
Any act by which a person becomes bound to do something to or for anouther, or to forbear something; external duties imposed by law, promise, or contract, by the relations of society, or by courtesy, kindness, etc.
  

(n.)
A bond with a condition annexed, and a penalty for nonfulfillment. In a larger sense, it is an acknowledgment of a duty to pay a certain sum or do a certain things.