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ought to

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Verb

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ought to

  1. (auxiliary) Indicating duty or obligation.
  2. (auxiliary) Indicating advisability or prudence.
  3. (auxiliary) Indicating desirability.
  4. (auxiliary) Indicating likelihood or probability.

Usage notes

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  • See ought for fuller examples and usage.
  • Many sources consider that ought to is the basic modal verb form. However, many examples of the use of ought without to as a basic modal auxiliary verb are to be found in common use.

Translations

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See also

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