fulfilling
Americanadjective
Usage
What does fulfilling mean? Fulfilling means providing or resulting in satisfaction or contentment.A job is fulfilling when it allows a person to fully use their talents and work on projects that they enjoy and that they find meaning in. A relationship is fulfilling for someone when it brings them happiness and a deep connection.Fulfilling is also the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb fulfill, meaning “to satisfy” or “to bring about” (which is how it’s used in the term self-fulfilling, as in self-fulfilling prophecy).Something that’s fulfilling leads to fulfillment—a state of satisfaction or contentment. Someone who feels this way can be described as fulfilled.Example: My trip across Europe has been so fulfilling—I’ve learned new languages and new cultures, and, most importantly, I’ve learned new things about myself.
Etymology
Origin of fulfilling
First recorded in 1300–50; fulfill ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
Seeing how fulfilling her family members’ careers were, she dedicated her life to educating young children.
From Los Angeles Times
Apple’s smallest and most affordable desktop computer will soon be produced in the U.S., a step toward fulfilling the company’s investing commitment.
From Barron's
It’s been the most fulfilling creative partnership of my whole life.
From Los Angeles Times
Franks, now aged 27, had more time on her hands and could not stop thinking about fulfilling one of her dreams.
From BBC
And fulfilling what they believe to be their destiny - by upgrading their silver medal from Beijing four years ago - is what these four Scots have travelled to Cortina to do.
From BBC
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.
