Legal Definitions - indeterminate obligation

An indeterminate obligation is a legal or moral duty that is not specific in amount or form, or is subject to being changed by a third party. For example, an obligation to deliver any edition published before 1509 of a certain book can be discharged by delivering any edition published before that date. This type of obligation is different from a determinate obligation, which has a specific thing as its object.

Another example of an indeterminate obligation is a promise to donate money to a charity, without specifying the exact amount. The amount can be determined later, based on the needs of the charity or the donor's financial situation.

Indeterminate obligations can be created by contract, promise, social relations, courtesy, kindness, or morality. They are binding and enforceable, but the exact terms may not be clear or fixed.