Obligate-an Americanism?

[JessieMcJessie]

I just asked a junior colleague to change a letter from "the law does not obligate us to do x" to "the law does not oblige to do x". To my mind, the former is correct, but an Americanism. I think that, like "gotten" it may be a word that was once used in English English but has fallen out of use here, in favour of the French-derived "oblige".

However I have realised that I would actually say "I felt obligated to her". But I think that's the only time I'd use it, as an adjective. So (putting to one side any objections to my not wanting our letters to sound American) am I being needlessly pedantic?

Sorry, the amendment kept the "us", which I inadvertently deleted in my post above- the only change was "obligate" to "oblige".

No, I don't think you're being pedantic which isn't a crime anyway, thankfully. Obliged sounds much more 'normal' than obligated in your example. Obligated sounds horrible, and I think you were right to change it. Young people these days, eh?