fulfill
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to carry out, or bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise.
- Synonyms:
- realize, complete, achieve, accomplish
-
to perform or do, as duty; obey or follow, as commands.
-
to satisfy (requirements, obligations, etc.).
a book that fulfills a long-felt need.
-
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.
-
to develop the full potential of (usually used reflexively).
She realized that she could never fulfill herself in such work.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fulfill
First recorded before 1000; Middle English fulfillen, Old English fulfyllan. See full 1, fill
Explanation
The verb fulfill means to fill a need or want. To fulfill yourself personally means to follow your inner passion, like flute-playing, no matter who thinks it's silly. Fulfill can also mean to meet expectations, or live up to a standard. If you fulfill your teacher's requirement of good behavior and good test scores, she'll give you a star. Finally, fulfill can mean to put into effect, or carry out. You'll fulfill the cookie orders when you deliver boxes of those tasty treats to the people who bought them.
Vocabulary lists containing fulfill
Beowulf vocabulary
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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Ungifted
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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.
See Examples For:
At the time, Enviva was dealing with problems at some plants that made it difficult to fulfill obligations to customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
It isn’t a requirement to carry a full mechanic’s set, and you can likely find a kit that will fulfill your needs at almost any price range.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Ramdin called member states of the OAS -- an organization that promotes cooperation in the Americas -- and other partners that have pledged support for an international gang suppression force to fulfill their commitments.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
She said they had been flying off the shelf, and staff were staying late to fulfill orders in time for the once-in-a-generation eclipse.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I guarantee she’ll be able to fulfill her duties; we truly don’t need to train her. I’ve told you already: it’s foolish to have this competition at all.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Fred Cibelli, a technology principal at EY in New York, said that, assuming the candidate fulfilled the job requirements, he would want to hear about their regard for olive oil in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
“My office followed the law and fulfilled its duty to provide California voters with clear, accessible, and accurate information,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
"I never really felt that it protected me or entirely fulfilled the purpose that it was meant to."
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
According to BCA Research, hyperscaler cloud backlogs — orders received but not yet fulfilled — have grown by roughly $750 billion over just the past two quarters.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
He thinks Reggie has fulfilled a mission as great as any he could’ve aspired to through church work.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
"He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams," Dolly wrote.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The rewards of fulfilling one’s dharma, to be sure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
He also lambasted people’s preoccupation with possessing money as warping their imaginations and blinding them to the existence of more fulfilling possibilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"This is the most thrilling, entertaining, fulfilling job we could have ever asked for."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Claire had done volunteer work there when she was young and fulfilling her required hours.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
