fulfil

fulfil — verb

1. to carry through and complete a promise, duty, requirement, role, or hoped-for p

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to carry through and complete a promise, duty, requirement, role, or hoped-for plan, so that what was supposed to happen actually happens.

Example

Layla fulfilled her promise to call her grandmother every Sunday morning.

fulfil + a promise (canonical pattern)

By winning the regional final, Liang fulfilled the dream he'd had since he was eight.

fulfil + a dream / ambition

Common collocations
  • fulfil a promise
  • fulfil a duty
  • fulfil a role
  • fulfil requirements
  • fulfil a dream
  • fulfil an obligation
Synonyms
  • carry out

    everyday phrasal verb; less formal than 'fulfil'

  • meet

    common with conditions and requirements; lighter and shorter

  • achieve

    stresses the success at the end, not the act of completion

Antonyms
  • break

    with a promise: 'break a promise' = the opposite of fulfilling it

  • neglect

    with a duty: failing to do what was required

Grammar Patterns

fulfil + a promise / duty / role / requirement / dream

Usage Note

Most common with abstract objects: promises, ambitions, conditions, criteria, duties, roles. Spelt 'fulfill' in American English; the past forms are 'fulfilled / fulfilling' in both varieties.

Common Mistakes

I fulfilled my coffee this morning.
I finished my coffee this morning.
'fulfil' takes abstract objects (a promise, a duty), not physical things.
The company fulfiled the order.
The company fulfilled the order.
keep the double 'l' before -ed and -ing in both BrE and AmE.

2. to give a person a deep sense of being content and useful in life, usually becau

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give a person a deep sense of being content and useful in life, usually because their work, role, or relationships line up with their abilities, values, or hopes.

Example

Teaching young children fulfils Stephanie in a way that office work never did.

fulfil + somebody (active, with subject = activity)

Imran left a high-paying job because the work simply didn't fulfil him anymore.

negative form of personal-fulfilment sense

Common collocations
  • feel fulfilled
  • deeply fulfilling work
  • be fulfilled by
  • personally fulfilling
Synonyms
  • satisfy

    broader; can describe small daily satisfactions, not only deep life-meaning

  • gratify

    more formal; often used for short-term pleasure

  • complete

    informal personal-relationship usage: 'You complete me'

Antonyms
  • disappoint

    fail to give the expected positive feeling

  • frustrate

    block the person from feeling content

Grammar Patterns

fulfil + somebody

feel fulfilled (passive/adjectival)

Usage Note

Often appears as the passive/adjectival 'feel fulfilled' or 'be fulfilled by something' rather than active 'X fulfils me'. Subject is typically an activity, role, or relationship — not a person directly.

Common Mistakes

I want to fulfil happy.
I want to feel fulfilled.
use the passive/adjectival form for the personal-content meaning.

Word family

  • fulfilment
    nounC1
  • fulfillment
    nounC1
  • fulfilling
    adjectiveB2
  • fulfilled
    adjectiveB2
  • unfulfilled
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four overlap when the object is a goal, duty, or requirement, but each has its own flavour. 'Fulfil' looks back at something that was promised, hoped for, or expected and confirms that it was carried through to completion — perfect for promises, dreams, roles, conditions. 'Achieve' focuses on the result and the effort involved: you achieve a goal or a record, often through striving. 'Meet' is lighter and more neutral, especially with requirements, deadlines, or standards: you meet a deadline without any sense of personal commitment. 'Carry out' is plainer and more practical, fitting concrete tasks like orders, instructions, or experiments. Compare 'She fulfilled her father's last wish' (deep, promise-like), 'She achieved her career goal at 30' (success after striving), 'She met all the visa requirements' (ticked the boxes), 'She carried out the chairperson's instructions' (executed orders).

fulfil ↗achieve ↗meet ↗carry out ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fulfil a promise
  • fulfil a duty
  • fulfil a role
  • fulfil requirements
  • fulfil a dream
  • fulfil an obligation
  • fulfil a need

Adverbs

  • fully fulfil
  • successfully fulfil
  • finally fulfil

Phrases

  • fulfil one's potential
  • fulfil one's destiny
  • fulfil one's responsibilities
  • feel fulfilled

Prepositions

  • fulfilled by
  • fulfilled through

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Fulfil traces back to Old English 'fullfyllan', built from 'full' (completely) plus 'fyllan' (to fill). The original sense was literally 'to fill up', which is still visible in older religious texts where 'fulfilling' a vessel meant filling it. Over the Middle Ages the figurative sense — completing a promise, command, or prophecy — gradually replaced the literal one. The modern personal-meaning sense ('feel fulfilled') is much newer, growing in the 20th century alongside ideas about self-realisation. The single-l British spelling 'fulfil' contrasts with American 'fulfill'.