As a citizen, paying taxes is a legal obligation that funds public services such as roads and schools.
作为公民，纳税是一项法律义务，为道路和学校等公共服务提供资金。
Essayist Dorian Achebe argues that memoir writers have an obligation to verify every factual detail of their past before publishing, since readers trust memoirs as accurate accounts.
From a Cross-Text Connections question · Craft and Structure
Which choice best defines “obligation”?
C — Duty, responsibility. “obligation” means duty, responsibility.
Which word means “duty, responsibility”?
D — obligation. “obligation” means duty, responsibility.
obligation — duty, responsibility. In Chinese: 义务，责任.
obligation is pronounced /ˌɑːblɪˈɡeɪʃn/.
As a citizen, paying taxes is a legal obligation that funds public services such as roads and schools. (作为公民，纳税是一项法律义务，为道路和学校等公共服务提供资金。)
duty, responsibility, commitment — all close in meaning to obligation (duty, responsibility).
choice, option — each the opposite of obligation (duty, responsibility).
Yes. obligation is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
oblig(bind)+ation(noun)