ought
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.used to say that someone has a duty to do something because it is the right thing to do.
v.expresses moral or legal obligation or duty. It is followed by the 'to'-infinitive and does not change form for person or number.
Simple“We ought to help our neighbours while they are away on holiday.”
In context“Citizens ought to consider the long-term environmental consequences of their daily consumption habits before dismissing new regulations.”
UsageAlways followed by 'to' plus the base form of the verb; in negatives, 'ought not to' is the standard formal construction.
PitfallYou ought go to the doctor. You ought to go to the doctor.Unlike 'should' or 'must', 'ought' requires 'to' before the following verb.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.used to say that you expect something to happen based on what you know.
v.indicates a strong logical probability or expectation that a particular state or event will occur.
Simple“The bus ought to be here in five minutes if the traffic is light.”
In context“Given the current economic indicators, the central bank ought to announce a reduction in interest rates by the end of the quarter.”
UsageFunctions as a modal of deduction, similar to 'should' in its epistemic sense.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.an idea of what is right or how things should be, rather than how they actually are.
n.refers to an ideal state or a moral imperative, often contrasted with 'is' in philosophical contexts.
Simple“There is often a big difference between the 'is' and the 'ought' in politics.”
In context“The philosopher spent his career exploring the gap between the 'is' of human nature and the moral 'ought' of ethical theory.”
Teacher's tipThis noun use is rare outside of academic or philosophical discussions regarding ethics.
From Middle English oughte, aughte, aȝte, ahte, from Old English āhte, first and third person singular past tense of Old English āgan (“to own, possess”), equivalent to owe + -t. Cognate with Sanskrit ईश्वर (īśvará, “capable of, liable”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.