English Reference
verb

fulfill

v.
US /fʊɫˈfɪɫ/ ful·fill UK spelling fulfil, fulfills

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    to do what is required by a law, a promise, or a contract.

    to satisfy or carry out a requirement, obligation, or promise. Transitive — requires a direct object.

    Simple

    The company failed to fulfill the terms of the contract on time.

    In context

    The applicant must fulfill all the academic requirements before the committee can consider their professional experience for the role.

    Usage

    Commonly used with objects like 'requirements', 'obligations', 'promises', or 'duties'.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    to make a dream or a hope come true.

    to bring to fruition or realize a potential, dream, or ambition.

    Simple

    She finally fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a pilot.

    In context

    After years of rigorous training, the athlete finally fulfilled his potential by winning the gold medal at the international championships.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    to make someone feel happy and satisfied because they are doing something useful.

    to provide emotional or spiritual satisfaction; to develop one's talents to the fullest extent.

    Simple

    Helping other people really fulfills him and gives his life meaning.

    In context

    Many professionals find that high salaries alone do not fulfill them if the work lacks a sense of social purpose.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate American EnglishTechnical Business

    to pack and ship an order for a customer.

    to process, pack, and distribute goods in response to a customer order.

    Simple

    The warehouse works 24 hours a day to fulfill online orders.

    In context

    The logistics department struggled to fulfill the surge of holiday orders due to unexpected supply chain disruptions.

    Usage

    Often used in e-commerce and logistics contexts regarding 'orders' or 'requests'.

Usage fulfil requirement

Animals fulfill a wide range of roles in human society.

Phys.org· 4 Sept 2026

From Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan (“to fill full”). By surface analysis, full- + fill.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English fullfyllan
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated