Meaning & use
self-fulfilment
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The feeling of being happy and complete because you are using your abilities and living according to your own values.
Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or a plural: 'a sense of self-fulfilment'.
Patterns
- a sense of self-fulfilment
- find self-fulfilment in something
- self-fulfilment through something
She left her high-paying job to find self-fulfilment in teaching.
For many people, self-fulfilment comes from creative work rather than money.
He believes that travel offers a path to self-fulfilment.
noununcountable
The process of developing your talents and reaching your full potential.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'personal' or 'individual'.
Patterns
- personal self-fulfilment
- the pursuit of self-fulfilment
- self-fulfilment and growth
The course is designed to help students achieve personal self-fulfilment.
Her book discusses the pursuit of self-fulfilment in modern life.
They see education as a tool for self-fulfilment, not just for getting a job.
Common combinations
- sense of self-fulfilment
- Volunteering gave him a deep sense of self-fulfilment.
- find self-fulfilment
- She found self-fulfilment in raising her children.
- personal self-fulfilment
- He puts personal self-fulfilment above career success.
- pursuit of self-fulfilment
- The novel is about one woman's pursuit of self-fulfilment.
- self-fulfilment through work
- Many people seek self-fulfilment through work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- satisfaction
- Satisfaction is a pleasant feeling when you get what you wanted; self-fulfilment is deeper and about becoming your true self.
- fulfillment
- Fulfillment can mean the same, but it is also used for completing an order or promise; self-fulfilment is only about personal happiness.
- self-actualization
- Self-actualization is a more technical term from psychology for reaching your full potential; self-fulfilment is broader and more everyday.
Opposites
Word family
- self-fulfilling adjective
- Describing a belief that causes itself to come true, as in 'a self-fulfilling prophecy'.
- fulfil verb
- To do or achieve what is hoped for or promised.
- fulfilment noun
- The act of achieving something, or a feeling of happiness.
Commonly confused: self-fulfilment or self-fulfilling?
self-fulfilment vs self-fulfilling
Self-fulfilling describes a prediction that makes itself happen; self-fulfilment is the noun for personal happiness.
Practice
She found true ______ in helping others rather than in earning a big salary.
Choose one answer.
'Self-fulfilment' is the uncountable noun that fits after 'found true'; 'self-fulfilling' is an adjective, 'self-fulfilled' is also an adjective, and 'self-fulfil' is a verb, so none can be the object of 'found'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-fulfilment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.