Etymology

fulfill

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Today it means: To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.). Full definition →

Middle English fulfillen ← Old English fullfyllan
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The story

  1. Old English · derived fromfullfyllan“to fill full”
  2. Middle English · derived fromfulfillen
  3. English todayfulfill

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

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishfulfillen all →

fulfilment

Old Englishfullfyllan all →

fulfilment

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.