fulfilling

American

[fool-fil-ing] / fʊlˈfɪl ɪŋ /

adjective

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.

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.

Under the proposed update, incidents would only now be recorded if they "may be relevant to policing for preventing or solving crime, safeguarding individuals or communities or fulfilling other statutory policing purposes".

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

When it was over and Sierra Canyon had won at Toyota Arena, the feeling could not have been more fulfilling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

A high score would provide evidence that an ESG-minded firm is fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility and possibly even meeting the requirements of the 2019 SEC Regulation Best Interest rule.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The dollar has risen against a weighted basket of its peers since the first strikes on Iran, fulfilling its traditional haven role.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

It was the beauty of a creature fulfilling her exact purpose in the world, being the precise thing she had trained her whole life to be.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023