fulfilling

American  

[fool-fil-ing] / fʊlˈfɪl ɪŋ /

adjective

1. satisfying or rewarding, especially by meeting the emotional need for meaning, challenge, growth, success, etc..

   The young graduates were looking forward to the adventure of growing personally, gaining new skills, and embarking on a fulfilling career.

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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. )

Related Words

• adequate
• decent
• fair
• good
• gratifying
• satisfying
• solid
• suitable
• tolerable
• valid