fulfil
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire, promise, etc)
-
to carry out or execute (a request, etc)
-
to conform with or satisfy (regulations, demands, etc)
-
to finish or reach the end of
he fulfilled his prison sentence
-
to achieve one's potential or desires
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of fulfil
Old English fulfyllan
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The little essays heading each section provide their own astonishments: “Yes, Egg is a most perfect thing—but to fulfil its task it must be destroyed as if it never mattered. Perfection cracked, a planet shattered.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
"People here want the best for their children and families and fulfil dreams. There are so many success stories of young people and families that have come from this area that are doing incredibly well."
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The prospect of drone swarms, groups of drones that can act together and fulfil set tasks without human intervention, has triggered both anxiety and excitement.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
"The US remains in arrears, as are many other member states who have yet to fulfil their financial commitments for the current biennium's regular budget," the ILO told AFP in an email Friday.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
It was as though he had an obscure but deep debt to fulfil to himself in accepting the deed.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
