fulfil

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verb [transitive] British English pronunciation: fulfil

/fʊlˈfɪl/

present tense
I/you/we/they	fulfil
he/she/it	fulfils
present participle	fulfilling
past tense	fulfilled
past participle	fulfilled

Get It Right!

1
to do a particular job, or to have a particular purpose
fulfil a function/role/purpose:
The church fulfils a necessary role in this town.
We know which part of the human brain fulfils this function.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil
2
to reach a particular standard, or to have the qualities that are necessary for something
fulfil requirements/criteria:
Do you fulfil the entry requirements for the course?
fulfil conditions:
Aid is dependent on certain political conditions being fulfilled.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil
3
to achieve something that you wanted to do, or to get something that you hoped for
fulfil a dream/ambition:
The journey fulfilled a long-cherished dream.
fulfil an aim/objective:
They hope to fulfil their objectives by 2004.
fulfil 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 fulfil
4
to do what you must do, for example as part of a job
fulfil an obligation/duty/commitment:
Landlords who refuse to fulfil their obligations may be liable to fines.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil
1. a.
  to do what you have said you will do
  fulfil a promise/pledge:
  The government has failed to fulfil its election promises.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil
5
to make you happy and satisfied because you are using your abilities
Being a wife and mother doesn’t really fulfil me.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil

phrases

fulfil a need
to provide something that people need
The bus really fulfils a need for this community.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of fulfil
fulfil 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 fulfil

Get It Right!: fulfil

The verb fulfil has only one ‘l’ in the middle (unlike the adjective full, which has a double ‘l’).

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

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

Note that in British English, there is one ‘l’ at the end of the verb: fulfil

In American English, there are two ‘l’s at the end: fulfill

In both British and American 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 British English definition of fulfil. View American English definition of fulfil.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

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