[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

oblige \oblige"\ -oblimacj"; 277, v. t. imp.  p. p.
   obliged -oblimacjd"; p. pr.  vb. n. obliging
   -oblimac"ji^ng. of. obligier, f. obliger, l.
   obligare; ob see ob- + ligare to bind. see ligament,
   and cf. obligate.
   1. to attach, as by a bond. obs.
      1913 webster

            he had obliged all the senators and magistrates
            firmly to himself.                    --bacon.
      1913 webster

   2. to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to put
      under obligation to do or forbear something.
      1913 webster

            the obliging power of the law is neither founded in,
            nor to be measured by, the rewards and punishments
            annexed to it.                        --south.
      1913 webster

            religion obliges men to the practice of those
            virtues which conduce to the preservation of our
            health.                               --tillotson.
      1913 webster

   3. to bind by some favor rendered; to place under a debt;
      hence, to do a favor to; to please; to gratify; to
      accommodate.
      1913 webster

            thus man, by his own strength, to heaven would soar,
            and would not be obliged to god for more. --dryden.
      1913 webster

            the gates before it are brass, and the whole much
            obliged to pope urban viii.           --evelyn.
      1913 webster

            i shall be more obliged to you than i can express.
                                                  --mrs. e.
                                                  montagu.
      1913 webster
see also:
obliged obliging ob- ligament obligate 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

oblige
     v 1: force or compel somebody to do something; "we compel all
          students to fill out this form" syn: compel, obligate
     2: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "he's held by a
        contract"; "i'll hold you by your promise" syn: bind, hold,
         obligate
     3: provide a service or favor for someone; "we had to oblige
        him" syn: accommodate ant: disoblige
see also:
compel obligate bind hold accommodate disoblige 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

55 moby thesaurus words for "oblige":
   accommodate, aid, assist, avail, benefit, bind, brook no denial,
   call for, cater to, coddle, coerce, commit, compel, concuss,
   constrain, contribute, convenience, cosset, demand, dictate,
   do a favor, do a service, do right by, exact, favor, force,
   give way to, gratify, help, humor, impose, indulge, insist upon,
   leave no option, make, make imperative, make incumbent,
   mollycoddle, necessitate, obligate, pamper, please, pledge, profit,
   require, saddle with, satisfy, serve, shotgun, show kindness to,
   spoil, take no denial, tie, treat well, yield to

Oblige >> O Words
Oblige, definition of term: Oblige
oblige_pag1.html

Noblesse Oblige >> N Words
Noblesse Oblige, definition of term: Noblesse Oblige
noblesse+oblige_pag1.html