ought
ought Lexical Profile
ought Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To be morally bound, obliged, or well-advised to do something (used as an auxiliary verb followed by 'to' to indicate duty, correctness, or advisability).
"We ought to review the safety protocols thoroughly before commencing the laboratory experiment."
To be logically expected, likely, or probable to happen or be the case (used as an auxiliary verb followed by 'to').
"With the favorable tailwinds, the flight ought to arrive at least twenty minutes ahead of schedule."
• noun
The digit or figure 0; zero, cipher, or naught.
"The accountant noticed that an extra ought had been accidentally added to the invoice total."
A moral duty, obligation, or statement of what should be done (used especially in philosophy and ethics).
"Philosophers have long debated whether one can logically derive an ought from an objective statement of fact."
• pronoun
Anything at all; any part or slightest degree (an archaic or literary variant of aught).
"For ought I know, the ancient manuscript may still be hidden somewhere in the abbey archives."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike other English modal verbs such as 'should' or 'must', 'ought' is almost always followed by a 'to'-infinitive in affirmative clauses (e.g., 'you ought to go'), though 'to' is frequently omitted in formal negative and interrogative constructions (e.g., 'ought not go'). As a noun meaning zero or a pronoun meaning anything, 'ought' is a variant spelling of 'aught'.
• Rhymes for ought
Word Origin & Etymology
As a modal verb, 'ought' derives from Old English 'ahte', the past tense of 'agan' ('to own, possess, or owe'), gradually becoming an independent auxiliary expressing obligation. In its noun sense meaning 'zero', it arose from a faulty division of 'a nought' as 'an ought'.