fulfill

English

Alternative forms

• fulfil (British)

Etymology

From Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan (“to fill full”), corresponding to ful- +‎ fill.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʊlˈfɪl/, /fəˈfɪl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

Verb

fulfill (third-person singular simple present fulfills, present participle fulfilling, simple past and past participle fulfilled) (American spelling)

1. (transitive) To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.).

   You made a promise, son, and now you must fulfill it.

   • 2013 February 6, Hideo Otake, “Revising the Interpretation of the Japanese Economy”, in Michio Muramatsu, Frieder Naschold, editors, State and Administration in Japan and Germany: A Comparative Perspective on Continuity and Change‎^[1], page 319:

     Japanese retail stores have strove to, and have succeeded in, fulfilling these severe demands, and in doing so, have constantly had to innovate both technologically and institutionally in order to keep up with the competition.

2. (transitive) To emotionally or artistically satisfy; to develop one's gifts to the fullest.

   This is the most fulfilling work I've ever done.

3. (transitive) To obey, follow, comply with (a rule, requirement etc.).

   Unfortunately, you don't fulfill the criteria for extra grants at the present time.

4. (business) To package, distribute, or ship goods.
5. (archaic) To fill full; fill to the utmost capacity; fill up.

   My lady is positively fulfilled of grace.

   • 1870, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night:

     The silence which benumbs or strains the sense
     Fulfils with awe the soul's despair unweeping

Derived terms

• fulfilled
• fulfilling
• fulfillable
• (chiefly US) fulfillment; (UK) fulfilment
• self-fulfilling prophecy
• wish-fulfilling
• unfulfilled

Translations

to carry out — see also carry out

• Albanian: përmbush (sq), kryej (sq)
• Arabic: أَوْفَى (ʔawfā), أَدَّى (ʔaddā)
• Belarusian: выко́нваць impf (vykónvacʹ), вы́канаць pf (výkanacʹ)
• Bikol Central: utob (bcl)
• Bulgarian: извършвам (bg) (izvǎršvam), изпълнявам (bg) (izpǎlnjavam)
• Catalan: complir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 履行 (zh) (lǚxíng)

• Czech: splnit (cs) pf
• Dutch: vervullen (nl)
• Esperanto: plenumi (eo), efektivigi
• Finnish: täyttää (fi)
• French: combler (fr), satisfaire (fr)
• German: erfüllen (de), einhalten (de)
• Gothic: 𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (ustiuhan)
• Greek:

  Ancient: τελέω (teléō), τελῶ (telô)

• Hebrew: קִיֵּם (he) (qiyyém)
• Hungarian: bevált (hu)
• Irish: comhlíon
• Italian: completare (it)
• Japanese: 遂行する (ja) (すいこうする, suikō suru), 実施する (ja) (じっしする, jisshi suru)
• Khiamniungan Naga: thǖshīu
• Korean: 수행하다 (ko) (suhaenghada)
• Latin: pleo
• Macedonian: исполни (ispolni)
• Maori: whakahei, whakatutuki, whakatūtataki
• Middle English: fulfillen, fillen
• Old Saxon: āfullian
• Polish: spełniać (pl) impf, wypełniać (pl) impf
• Portuguese: realizar (pt), cumprir (pt)
• Romanian: împlini (ro)
• Russian: исполня́ть (ru) impf (ispolnjátʹ), испо́лнить (ru) pf (ispólnitʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: coilean
• Slovak: splniť pf, plniť
• Spanish: cumplir (es), realizar (es)
• Swedish: uppfylla (sv)

to satisfy emotionally

• Bikol Central: utob (bcl)
• Catalan: satisfer (ca), omplir (ca)
• Chinese:
• Finnish: tyydyttää (fi)
• French: satisfaire (fr)
• German: erfüllen (de)
• Ido: satisfacar (io)
• Italian: soddisfare (it)
• Mandarin: 履行 (zh) (lǚxíng)
• Middle English: fulfillen, fillen
• Portuguese: realizar (pt), satisfazer (pt)
• Romanian: satisface (ro)
• Russian: выполня́ть (ru) impf (vypolnjátʹ), вы́полнить (ru) pf (výpolnitʹ), исполня́ть (ru) impf (ispolnjátʹ), испо́лнить (ru) pf (ispólnitʹ), осуществля́ть (ru) impf (osuščestvljátʹ), осуществи́ть (ru) pf (osuščestvítʹ)
• Slovak: napĺňať
• Spanish: realizar (es), satisfacer (es)

to comply with

• Bikol Central: utob (bcl)
• Finnish: täyttää (fi)
• German: erfüllen (de)
• Hungarian: eleget tesz (hu)
• Irish: comhlíon
• Italian: soddisfare (it)
• Portuguese: satisfazer (pt)
• Russian: удовлетворя́ть (ru) impf (udovletvorjátʹ), удовлетвори́ть (ru) pf (udovletvorítʹ)
• Slovak: splniť, spĺňať
• Spanish: satisfacer (es), cumplir (es), suplir (es), servar

Middle English

Verb

fulfill

1. Alternative form of fulfillen