self-fulfillment
UK[ˌself fʊlˈfɪl mənt]US[ˌself fʊlˈfɪl mənt]
n
the act of fully developing your own abilities, character, and desires, and achieving what you want in life.
n
the feeling of satisfaction gained from achieving this.
Morpheme Breakdown
self
fulfill
ment
self
own
fulfill
complete
ment
state of
Etymology
the concept of self-fulfillment is a modern compound built from deeply ancient roots. the old english 'self' has cognates across germanic languages, ultimately from a proto-indo-european root meaning "separate, apart." the verb 'fulfill' originates from the pragmatic old english idea of making something completely full, a literal satisfaction of conditions. the suffix '-ment' entered english through french, carrying the latin sense of a concrete result or abstract condition. by the 20th century, these elements were combined to articulate a distinctly modern psychological and philosophical ideal: the process and state of achieving one's own potential, transforming the literal act of completing a task into the abstract pursuit of personal completeness and satisfaction.
Analysis
Structure: self (own) + fulfill (complete) + ment (state of)
self: from old english 'self', meaning "one's own person". functions as a prefix denoting something directed at or performed by oneself.
fulfill: from old english 'fullfyllan', combining 'full' (complete) and 'fyllan' (to fill). functions as the core verb meaning to carry out or bring to completion.
ment: from latin '-mentum', via old french '-ment', denoting an action, process, or resulting state. functions as a noun-forming suffix.
Examples
her career change was a major step in her journey toward self-fulfillment.
he believed that creative expression was essential for self-fulfillment.
the book discusses the difference between material success and genuine self-fulfillment.