ought1
modal v.
(3rd sing. present and past ought)
- used to indicate duty or correctness.
▸used to indicate a desirable or expected state.
▸used to give or ask advice.
- used to indicate something that is probable.
Usage
Ought is an example of a modal verb, and does not behave like ordinary verbs. In particular, the negative is formed with the word not alone and not also with auxiliary verbs such as do or have. The standard construction for the negative is he ought not to have gone: the forms he didn't ought to have gone and he hadn't ought to have gone are not acceptable in standard modern English.
Etymology
OE āhte, past tense of āgan ‘owe’ (see owe).
ought2
n.
archaic term for
nought.
Etymology
C19: perh. from an ought, by wrong division of a nought.
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