fulfil, v.
(fʊlˈfɪl)
Pa. tense and pa. pple. fulfilled (fʊlˈfɪld). Forms: 1–7 (see full a. and fill v.), 8–9 fullfill, 3–9 fulfill, 4– fulfil.
[OE. fullfyllan, f. full a. + fyllan to fill. Cf. to fill full: see fill v. 1.]
1. trans. To fill to the full, fill up, make full. Const. of, with. Now only arch. a. in material sense.
| c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxvi. (Z.) 153 Compleo, ic fullfylle. c 1250 Old Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. (1872) 29 Þo serganz uuluelden þo faten of watere. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4319 Al þat huge halle was hastili fulfulled. 1382 Wyclif Gen. i. 28 Growe ȝe and be ȝe multiplied and fulfille ȝe the erthe. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 102 Aftirward I fulfillide þe wounde with hoot oile of rosis. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 79 b/2 All the londe therof shal be fulfyllid with deserte. ? a 1500 Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) ii. 68 All Beastes I byd yow multeply..the earth to fulfill. 1548–77 Vicary Anat. ii. (1888) 22 Simple and pure fleshe, which fulfylleth the concauities of voyde places. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 676 The world has received animals..and is fulfilled with them. |
b. in immaterial applications.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 852 (Gött.) God..fulfild þis world al wid his grace. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) v. xiv. (1859) 80 The Apostles were fulfylled with the holy ghoost. 1480 Robt. Devyll 5 Hys hearte was fullfylled all with thought. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. i. Wks. 1151/2 Theyr owne conscience..may fulfil their heartes wyth spiritual ioy. 1563 Homilies ii. Rogation Week i. (1859) 475 He..fulfilleth both heaven and earth with his presence. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 12 Be not drunke with wine, but be fulfilled with the spirit. 1825 Scott Talism. xxiv, I have never known knight more fulfilled of nobleness. 1830 Tennyson Poems 35 Her subtil, warm, and golden breath Which mixing with the infant's blood Fullfills him with beatitude. 1864 Swinburne Atalanta 2120 Filling thine eyes And fulfilling thine ears With the brilliance of battle. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 313 When he was fulfilled of this delight. |
† c. To spread through the whole extent of; to pervade. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Jer. xxiii. 24 Whether not heuene and erthe Y fulfille? seith the Lord. 1535 Coverdale Dan. ii. 35 The stone..became a greate mountayne which fulfylleth the whole earth. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 436 The glorie of the Lord fulfilling the house. |
† 2. To furnish or supply to the full with what is wished for; to fill as with food; to satisfy the appetite or desire of. Obs.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter ciii[i]. 16 Be fulefilled sal trees ofe felde ilkan. c 1340 Cursor M. 6842 (Fairf.) Þe seyuende ȝere lete hit ly stille Þe pouer men hunger for to fulfille. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xv. 33 Therfore wherof so many loouys to vs in desert, that we fulfille so grete a cumpanye of peple? 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas iii. i. (1554) 70 b, Thyne empty wombe eche day to fulfill, If thou mightest haue vittayle at thy will. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione i. i. 3 Þe eye is not fulfilled wiþ þe siȝt nor þe ere wiþ heringe. c 1500 Lancelot 941 Your plesance may ye wel fulfill Of me. 1592 Timme Ten Eng. Lepers F ij, Not to sustaine nature..but to fulfill insaciable gurmandize. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 114 To fulfill his greedy and endlesse appetite. |
3. a. To fill up or make complete; to supply what is lacking in; † formerly sometimes with forth. Also, to fill up or supply the place of (something); to compensate for (a defect). Obs. exc. arch.
| a 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 Al swa fele þe me mihte þat tioðe hape fulfellen. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 305/214 Þare-fore man is i-wrouȝt, To fulfulle þe teoþe ordre þat was out of heouene i-brouȝt. c 1380 Wyclif Last Age Chirche p. xxvii, Cristen men hauen xxi lettris..and ȝeuynge to eche c. þe newe Testament was endid whanne þe noumbre of þes assingned lettris was fulfilled. 1382 ― Phil. ii. 2 Fulfille ȝe my joye. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 29 Þo .ij. defautis þe medlynge of þe ligament fulfilliþ. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 182 Fulfyllyn or make a-cethe in thynge þat wantythe, supleo. 1473 in Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. (1877) I. 30 Item iij quarteris of blak to fulfill furth the lynyng of the Queynis goone. 1533 Bellenden Livy ii. (1822) 107 The new Faderis chosin..to fulfill the auld nowmer of Faderis afore minist. 1556 Robinson tr. More's Utop. (ed. 2) ii. (Arb.) 90 Then they fulfyll and make vp the numbre with cytezens. 1850 Mrs. Browning Poems I. 9 Glory and life Fulfil their own depletions. |
† b. absol. or intr. To supply what is wanted.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 138 Where lacketh good the word fulfilleth To make amendes for the wronge. |
† 4. To fill, hold, or occupy (a position that has been vacant); to take (the place of something). Obs.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 33 Man sholde fuluullen englene sete. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 221 Þat it miȝte fulfille þe place of þe þrote. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 289 Whiche gete turfes..to fullefille the stede of woode. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 168 His wretched Carcas shall the voyde graue fulfill. 1548–77 Vicary Anat. ii. (1888) 18 Some [bones] to fulfyll the hollowe places, as in the handes and feete. |
5. To carry out or bring to consummation (a prophecy, promise, etc.); to satisfy (a desire, prayer). refl. Of a person: to work out one's destiny; to develp one's gifts and character to the full. (A development of Tennyson's use:)
In origin a Hebraism: a literal transl. of the Vulgate adimplere, implere, Hellenistic Greek πληροῦν, used in an unclassical sense after Heb. ml', literally ‘to fill’.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 104/119 Ȝuit it scholde bi-foren eov alle bi folfuld bi me her. a 1300 Cursor M. 26254 His flexs lust to ful-fill. c 1320 Cast. Love 1201 The profecye of Symeon Wes fulfylled thon. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 694 Cleopatra, Thilke comenant..I wele fulfille. 1400 G. ap David in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. I. 6 Other thinges he behiȝt me the qwich he fulfullyt not. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 9 Fulfill thy promise, I praye the now begynne. a 1633 Austin Medit. (1635) 43 His purpose was onely to get money: but God's purpose was (thereby) to bring Mary to Bethlehem. Hee, to fill full his Coffers, God, to fulfill the Prophecies. 1769 J. Brown Dict. Bible (1818) s.v., To fulfil requests and desires is to grant the things desired. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iv. i. (1872) 101 The universal prayer therefore is to be fulfilled. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xvi. 112, I fulfilled to the letter my engagement..to ask no help. 1864 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. ix. (1875) 145 Full of bright promise never fulfilled. 1883 H. Spencer in Contemp. Rev. XLIII. 15 Nature leads men by purely personal motives to fulfil her ends. |
| refl. 1842 Tennyson Gardener's Dau. 233 My desire..By its own energy fulfill'd itself. 1847 ― Princ. vii. 121 If you be, what I think you, some sweet dream, I would but ask you to fulfil yourself. 1920 R. Macaulay Potterism iii. i. §8. 117 In what place, under what conditions, would Oliver Hobart now fulfil himself, now carry on the work so faithfully begun on earth? Ibid. vi. v. §8. 259 Jane would, no doubt, fulfil herself in the course of time, make an adequate figure in the world she loved. 1971 Times 16 Oct. 8/7 The belief that a degree is evidence of ‘ability’ and that without one you..have not ‘fulfilled’ yourself. |
6. a. To carry out, perform, execute, do (something enjoined); to obey or follow (a command, the law, etc.).
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1222 To fulfillen godes reed. a 1300 Cursor M. 9736 Þi will i sal euermar full-fill. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 264 That thing may he nought fulfille. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop ii. xvi, My mayster..whiche constrayneth me to fulfylle his wylle. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 2 So to study this present treatyse, that they may fulfyll it in theyr lyuyng. 1645 Milton Colast. Wks. (1851) 353 Let not therfore under the name of fulfilling Charity, such an unmercifull..yoke, bee padlockt upon the neck of any Christian. 1667 ― P.L. xii. 402 The Law of God exact he shall fulfil. 1777 Blair Serm. I. iv. 111 Let us carry on our preparation for heaven.. by fulfilling the duties and offices of every station in life. 1781 Cowper Expost. 644 To praise him is to serve him, and fulfil..his unquestioned will. 1835 J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (1837) I. v. 76 In what sense do we fulfil the words of Christ? 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxiv. 310 Still each hand fulfilled its pious labour eternal. |
† b. To perform, execute, accomplish (a deed).
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 288 Ȝif þer were eise uorto fulfullen þe dede. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) v. 53 Thei fulfillen first the more longe Pilgrymage, and after retournen aȝen be the nexte Weyes. 1582 A. Munday Discov. E. Campion in Arb. Garner VIII. 205 The deaths of these noble personages should be presently fulfilled. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 1635 Where you did fulfil The loathsome act of lust. |
c. To fill the requirements of, answer (a purpose), comply with (conditions).
| 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 93 If all..Fulfill the purpose, and appear design'd Proofs of the wisdom of th' all-seeing Mind. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §304 Every stone fulfils its place inside and out. 1834 Lytton Pompeii i. ii, The numerous haunts which fulfilled with that idle people the office of cafés and clubs at this day. 1840 Lardner Geom. 112 If in two triangles, either of the conditions of similarity be fulfilled, the other condition must also be fulfilled. 1860 Mill Repr. Govt. (1865) 1/1 To inquire what form of government is best fitted to fulfil those purposes. 1862 H. Spencer First Princ. ii. iv. §53 (1875) 174 Before a truth can be known as necessary, two conditions must be fulfilled. 1870 M. D. Conway Earthw. Pilgr. xxvii. 320 A street speaker and his audience fulfilling the condition of moving on. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 200 The Cretan laws..fulfil the object of laws, which is to make those who use them happy. |
7. To bring to an end, finish, complete (a period, portion of time, a work, etc.).
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 5/145 Ȝwane þe time were folfuld. 1340 Ayenb. 262 Þis boc is uolueld ine þe eue of þe holy apostles Symon an Iudas. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 168 Þere is fulfillid þe firste digestioun of þe guttis. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. (E.E.T.S.) 71 Turne þe vpon þy left syde, and fulfylle þy sleepe vpon þat syde. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) v. i. (1859) 72 A thynge that is infynyte maye not be fulfilled. 1526–34 Tindale Acts xiii. 25 When John had fulfylled his course, he sayde, whome ye thinke that I am the same am I not. 1535 Coverdale 2 Sam. vii. 12 Whan thy tyme is fulfylled y{supt} thou shalt slepe with thy fathers. 1784 Cowper Task vi. 786 Six thousand years of sorrow have well-nigh Fulfilled their tardy and disastrous course Over a sinful world. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles ii. xxix, Whose ill-timed speed Fulfill'd my soon-repented deed. |
Hence fulˈfilled ppl. a.
| 1649 Milton Eikon. xxvii. Wks. (1847) 329/1 All our past and fulfill'd miseries. |