fulfillment

American  

[fool-fil-muhnt] / fʊlˈfɪl mənt /

especially British, fulfilment

noun

• fulfillments
  plural

1. the act or state of fulfilling: to achieve fulfillment of one's hopes.

   to witness the fulfillment of a dream;

   to achieve fulfillment of one's hopes.

2. the state or quality of being fulfilled; completion; realization.

   a vague plan that had no hope of fulfillment.

3. the process or business of handling and executing customer orders, as packing, shipping, or processing checks.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prefulfillment
  noun
• superfulfillment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fulfillments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fulfillment

First recorded in 1765–75; fulfill + -ment

Explanation

Fulfillment is a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. It's also the completion of something, like the fulfillment of a promise. This word has two related meanings. In terms of emotions, fulfillment is a happy, contented feeling. Many people feel fulfillment from being a parent, having a great job, or graduating from school. People often feel fulfillment when something is completed, whether it's a goal or a dream or repair work that you've been waiting on. Which leads to the other meaning of fulfillment — the act of finishing or doing something that was promised.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fulfillment fulfillments

Here is what experts say actually drives fulfillment in your next chapter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

His lack of initiative in romance and curating expansive experiences to bring you closer is further evidence of this, and it’s all at the expense of the relationship and your fulfillment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Business Insider report said that, based on Project Mercury’s projections, same-day fulfillment centers could make up around 28% of Amazon’s package volume in 2029 and half by 2035.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Boston Scientific has restored its manufacturing, order fulfillment and shipping operations after a disruption by last month’s cyberattack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

A wish that continually approaches but never achieves fulfillment.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Over on the opinion pages, Mr. Hallowell explores how the nativity story weaves together a beautiful tapestry of fascinating figures, themes and prophetic fulfillments.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

So I still get those kinds of fulfillments, but it was great being in the newsroom with people.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2020

In return for replacing unconscious repression with conscious renunciation, we get a civilisation, and all its bounty – stability, a sense of purpose, the fulfillments of culture.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2018

But his analysis of it, and the resulting conclusion — that dreams are wish fulfillments — proved revolutionary.

From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2014

As James keeps restating his position, there are many of the definitions that could be interpreted to mean either values or fulfillments, and even a few which seem to refer to fulfillment alone.

From The pragmatic theory of truth as developed by Peirce, James, and Dewey by Delton Loring Geyer

Related Words

• achievement
• attainment
• contentment
• gratification
• perfection
• realization