ought
auxiliary verb
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Definition of ought
(Entry 1 of 4)
—used to express obligation ought to pay our debts , advisability ought to take care of yourself , natural expectation ought to be here by now , or logical consequence the result ought to be infinity
ought
verb
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Definition of ought (Entry 2 of 4)
ought
noun
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Definition of ought (Entry 3 of 4)
: moral obligation : duty
ought
\ ˈȯt
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Definition of ought (Entry 4 of 4)
archaic spelling of aught
Examples of ought in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Auxiliary verb
Stated differently, should the federal government or states’ governments decide whether sports betting ought to be lawful? — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Why New Jersey Won Its Supreme Court Battle to Legalize Sports Betting," 14 May 2018 And while sales are one way to gauge the will of the people, the marketplace is fickle. Americans ought to be cautious before making corporations their moral compass or primary vehicle for reform. — Adam Winkler, The New Republic, "Why big business is suddenly into liberal politics," 30 Apr. 2018 The kind of diversity that has brought both of them into the spotlight ought to be the norm rather than singled out, to the point that the comparison wouldn’t be considered necessary in the first place. — Karen Han, Teen Vogue, "No, Crazy Rich Asians Isn't the "Asian Black Panther"," 27 Apr. 2018 In large part, that’s because anti-abortionist’s argument hinges upon the notion that life is always sacred and ought never be taken. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Abortion Is Not Murder," 13 Apr. 2018 In most cases, unless a reliable soil test suggests otherwise, that ought to be a high-nitrogen, lawn-type fertilizer. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "Shady spots are like the Goldilocks of gardening. Here, four plants that are just right | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 30 Mar. 2018 Instead of brain tissue, the doctors found a 9cm (~3.5 inch) pressurized pocket of air where much of his right frontal lobe ought to be. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Doctors shocked by 3.5-inch air bubble where part of man’s brain should be," 13 Mar. 2018 Both Redente and Matviak maintain that Sidney’s struggles ought to concern people across the country in areas that can no longer be protected from climate change. — Christopher Flavelle, Bloomberg.com, "America’s Last-Ditch Climate Strategy of Retreat Isn’t Going So Well," 2 May 2018 Broadway has come to rely on subsidized testing grounds, but nonprofit theaters ought to be raising the bar. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "Tony Award nominations reflect an anemic year for original ideas. Here's a critic's take on the bright spots," 1 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Consultants said officer schedules ought to be staggered based on call demands. — Cassandra Jaramillo, Dallas News, "Dallas police Chief U. Renée Hall back from medical leave, aiming to cure what ails her department," 26 Aug. 2019 The author of a study that found deteriorating conditions in highways across the nation says that Connecticut ought to consider tolls to reduce the high cost of maintaining state roadways. — Rick Green, courant.com, "New study from libertarian group gives Connecticut poor marks for highway system, says state should embrace tolls," 22 Aug. 2019 Led by Kaburov, the Huskies have a formidable squad of talented players and ought to be considered among the top teams in the state, Lill said. — Bob Narang, chicagotribune.com, "Pioneer Press 2019 girls volleyball preview: Mid-Suburban League," 16 Aug. 2019 Jean Kiddoo, chair of the FCC’s incentive auction task force, said the stations’ new broadcast signals ought to cover the same areas as before, at the same level of quality. — Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, "For some local TV viewers, changes are coming this week," 29 July 2019 At a recent shareholders' meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said investors ought to look out for two things in the coming year: battery availability and advancements in full self-driving. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Report: Tesla working on battery-cell R&D to loosen ties with Panasonic," 26 June 2019 Bentz says any new money ought to be spent helping Oregonians buy electric cars and trucks, and that the state should set it aside for those purposes until the legal issues are settled or voters can amend the constitution. — oregonlive.com, "Senate Republican walkout: What do they want?," 21 June 2019 There is a long-standing argument regarding how far mimetic art ought to go in representing the sometimes dispiriting realities of modern life. — Christopher Beha, Harper's magazine, "Mallo My!," 10 Mar. 2019 In a surprising moment of bipartisan consensus, the only thing lawmakers fought about was how extensive restrictions ought to be. — Kentaro Toyama, The Conversation, "Bring on the technology bans!," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ought.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ought
ought
verb
English Language Learners Definition of ought
—used to indicate what is expected
—used to say or suggest what should be done
See the full definition for ought in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ought
helping verb
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Kids Definition of ought
1
—used to show duty You ought to obey your parents.
2
—used to show what it would be wise to do You ought to take care of that cough.
3
—used to show what is naturally expected They ought to be here by now.
4
—used to show what is correct You ought to get nine for the answer.
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