fulfill

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verb [transitive] American English pronunciation: fulfill

/fʊlˈfɪl/

present tense
I/you/we/they	fulfill
he/she/it	fulfills

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1
to do a particular job or have a particular purpose
fulfill a function/role/purpose:
The church fulfills a necessary role in this town.
We know which part of the human brain fulfills this function.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
1. a.
  to reach a particular standard or have the qualities that are necessary for something
  fulfill requirements/criteria:
  Several of the applicants do not fulfill the entry requirements for the course.
  fulfill conditions:
  Aid is dependent on certain political conditions being fulfilled.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
2
to achieve something that you wanted to do, or get something you hoped for
fulfill a dream/ambition:
The trip fulfilled a long-cherished dream.
fulfill an aim/objective:
They hope to fulfill their objectives by 2004.
fulfill someone’s expectations (=be as good as they expect):
Supporters feel that the team has not fulfilled their expectations.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
3
to do what you must do, for example as part of a job
fulfill an obligation/duty/commitment:
Landlords who refuse to fulfill their obligations may be fined.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
1. a.
  to do what you have said you will do
  fulfill a promise/pledge:
  The government has failed to fulfill its election promises.
  Sadly, this pledge was never fulfilled.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
4
to make you happy and satisfied because you are using your abilities
Being a wife and mother doesn’t really fulfill me.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill

phrases

fulfill a need
to provide something that people need
The bus fulfills an important community need.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill
fulfill your potential
to achieve as much as your natural ability makes possible
He never really fulfilled his potential as a player.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfill

Get It Right!: fulfill

The verb fulfill has only one “l” in the middle (unlike the adjective full, which has a double “l”).

✗ Life is too short to enable man to fullfill his dreams.

✓ Life is too short to enable man to fulfill his dreams.

Note that in American English, there are two “l”s at the end: fulfill

In British English, there is one “l” at the end of the verb: fulfil

In both American and British English, the final “l” is doubled in the forms fulfilled and fulfilling:

✗ a duty that must be fulfiled

✓ a duty that must be fulfilled

This is the American English definition of fulfill. View British English definition of fulfill.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

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