ENGLISH
REFERENCE

beholden

v.
C1 Advanced US //bɪˈhoʊɫdən// UK //bɪhˈəʊldən// be·hold·en

v. to feel that you must do something because of a duty, a debt, or a law. You use this when you feel you have no choice but to follow a rule or help someone.

v. to be under an obligation to do something or to be subject to the authority of another. Often used in the passive voice to describe a state of duty or legal necessity.


SIMPLE

The company is beholden to the new environmental laws.

CONTEXTUAL

The small startup is beholden to its investors, who control the majority of the voting shares.

COMPLEX

While the artist claimed total creative freedom, his contract made him beholden to the studio's strict release schedule and marketing demands.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English biholden (“beholden, obligated”), past participle of biholden (“to behold, look at”, modern behold), though that verb does not mean "to bind, obligate".

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