fulfil
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire, promise, etc)
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to carry out or execute (a request, etc)
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to conform with or satisfy (regulations, demands, etc)
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to finish or reach the end of
he fulfilled his prison sentence
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to achieve one's potential or desires
Other Word 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 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
"I would encourage the UK government to fulfil their promises and their commitments to Alexander Dennis by reforming those arrangements in relation to procurement," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Having suppressed its military for years in an attempt to atone for the horrors it perpetrated, can Germany fulfil its newfound ambition to become Europe's preeminent military power?
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Now, merely to avert any ill-luck, I babble mechanically: “I will fulfil everything, fulfil everything I have promised you—” but already I know that I shall not do so.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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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.