obligation

/ˌä-blə-ˈgā-shən/

Middle English obligacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French obligacion, borrowed from Latin obligātiōn-, obligātiō, from obligāre "to tie up, restrain by tying, place under a legal or moral constraint" + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action

noun

  1. the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow)

  2. something (such as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action

  3. a debt security (such as a mortgage or corporate bond)

noun phrase

  1. a feast on which Roman Catholics are duty-bound to attend mass

idiom

  1. not required (to do something)

You are not under any obligation to stay.