Definition of unfulfilled

The word "unfulfilled" has its roots in Old English. The Proto-Germanic word "*unfuliz" is derived from the prefix "un-" (meaning "not" or "opposite of") and the noun "ful" (meaning "full" or "complete"). This Proto-Germanic word is also the source of the Modern English word "unfilled". In Middle English (circa 1100-1500), the word "unfulfilled" emerged with the sense "not having had the opportunity to do something or achieve something". For example, in the 14th-century poem "The Vision of Piers Plowman", the author Langland wrote "He woot is unfulfilled and unbegun". Over time, the meaning of "unfulfilled" expanded to include senses such as "not satisfied or met" or "remaining or left uncompleted". Today, the word is commonly used to describe something that has not been completed or achieved, such as an unfulfilled promise or an unfulfilled desire.