fulfill

American  

[fool-fil] / fʊlˈfɪl /

especially British, fulfil

verb (used with object)

fulfilled, fulfilling

1. to carry out, or bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise.

   Synonyms:

   realize, complete, achieve, accomplish

2. to perform or do, as duty; obey or follow, as commands.

   Synonyms:

   observe, discharge, execute

3. to satisfy (requirements, obligations, etc.).

   a book that fulfills a long-felt need.

   Synonyms:

   fill, answer, meet

4. to bring to an end; finish or complete, as a period of time.

   He felt that life was over when one had fulfilled his threescore years and ten.

   Synonyms:

   conclude, terminate, end

5. to develop the full potential of (usually used reflexively).

   She realized that she could never fulfill herself in such work.

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Other Word Forms

• fulfiller noun
• overfulfill verb (used with object)
• prefulfill verb (used with object)
• superfulfill verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of fulfill

First recorded before 1000; Middle English fulfillen, Old English fulfyllan. See full ¹, fill

Example Sentences

There’s many different ways to fulfill baseball potential.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

But he said that without his local diving pool in Plymouth, he would never have been able to fulfill his dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

PayPal, like any other legitimate payment app, wants to fulfill its duty to you by making sure that all funds — such as the $5 rebate — are received before you close your account.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

It warned it would be forced to declare force majeure for up to five years on some long-term LNG contracts, signalling it may be unable to fulfill the agreements.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

In its own way this correspondence would fulfill his dream, of serving as an interpreter between nations.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri