gerund or present participle
Doing what someone promised, agreed to do, or is responsible for doing.
Fulfilling her promise took longer than she expected.
The company is fulfilling its contract on schedule.
American English
How to pronounce fulfilling
verb · adjectiveB2Common word
fʊlFIHlihng
/fʊlˈfɪ.lɪŋ/
3 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of fulfill
Doing what someone promised, agreed to do, or is responsible for doing.
What to listen for
In “fulfilling,” the /l/ at the end of the first syllable is often pronounced as a dark L before the next consonant: /fʊɫˈfɪ.lɪŋ/.
Meanings & examples
gerund or present participle
Meeting a rule, requirement, or condition so that something is accepted or allowed.
Fulfilling all the entry requirements can take several months.
She is fulfilling the conditions of her scholarship.
gerund or present participle
Making a hope, dream, or ambition become real.
Fulfilling his dream of becoming a pilot took years of work.
She is fulfilling her ambition to open a restaurant.
gerund or present participle
Providing what a person, group, or situation needs.
The new clinic is fulfilling a real need in the neighborhood.
Fulfilling the growing demand for evening classes requires more teachers.
Useful expressions
to develop all your abilities and achieve what you can
With the right support, he can fulfill his potential.
Related words & forms
American English uses fulfill with two l's; fulfilled and fulfilling also keep the two l's. British English often uses fulfil.
fulfillmentnoun: a feeling of satisfaction from achieving something important or living a meaningful lifefulfillingadjective: giving you a sense of purpose or satisfactionfulfilledadjective: satisfied because your life has meaning or purposeunfulfilledadjective: not achieved, completed, or satisfied