fruition

noun

fru·​ition frü-ˈi-shən How to pronounce fruition (audio)
1
: pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment
the sweet fruition of an earthly crownChristopher Marlowe
2
a
: the state of bearing fruit
the fields needed rain for fruitionPearl Buck

Did you know?

Fruition must come from the word fruit, right? Not exactly—the apple falls a little further from the tree than one might think. Fruition and fruit are related (both ultimately come from the Latin verb frui, meaning "to enjoy"), but they came about independently. The original meaning of fruition had nothing to do with fruit. Rather, when the term was first used in the 15th century, it meant only "pleasurable use or possession," as when playwright and Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe wrote of "the sweet fruition of an earthly crown." Not until several centuries later did fruition develop a second meaning, "the state of bearing fruit," possibly as the result of a mistaken assumption that fruition evolved from fruit. The "state of bearing fruit" sense was followed quickly by the figurative application to anything that can be "realized" and metaphorically bear fruit, such as a plan or a project.

Examples of fruition in a Sentence

These were dreams of long standing that had finally come to fruition Nicholas Fraser, Harper's, September 1996
Truth is a weapon so powerful that the slowness of its fruition matters little in the end. Edith Hamilton, New Yorker, 12 Sept. 1994
The ground thaws, the sap flows, then comes the leaf, the bud, the full flowering of national and individual entitlements, an unstoppable surge toward the glorious fruition promised by the idea of independence. Janette Turner Hospital, New York Times Book Review, 30 Dec. 1990
when she landed the lead in a Broadway play, a lifelong dream was brought to fruition
Recent Examples on the Web Lawmakers revived language providing retirees with a 13th paycheck this year – something that did not come to fruition last year. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Musings about possibly putting it outside the Cincinnati Museum Center never came to fruition either. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 The idea first came to fruition with their 2023 release, Meet Me In Paris, and followed with the sequel, Meet Me In Rome, which was released on the Roku Channel in February 2024. Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 And this comes to fruition beautifully with jewelry. Bettina Zilkha, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The embryo not coming to fruition to the birth of a child can happen in various ways. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024 While that may seem like bravado, that came to fruition. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 Though Blink did not come to fruition at the time, revisiting the script has brought it back to the front of Gaghan’s mind. Shania Russell, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fruition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruicioun, fruicion "use, enjoyment, joy felt in mystical communion with God," borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French fruicion, fruition, borrowed from Late Latin fruitiōn-, fruitiō "use, enjoyment," from Latin fruor, fruī "to enjoy the produce or proceeds of, derive advantage from, be blessed with, derive pleasure from" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at fruit entry 1

Note: Sense 2 reflects reanalysis of the word as a process noun from fruit entry 1/fruit entry 2. This usage is not uncommon in the nineteenth century, but was slow to be recognized in dictionaries. Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language (1890) does not recognize it in its definition of fruition ("use or possession of anything, especially such as is accompanied with pleasure or satisfaction"), but nonetheless uses it in its definition of fruit as a verb: "to bear or produce fruit; to come to fruition." The Century Dictionary (1889-91) more or less accurately defines the new sense ("a coming into fruit or fulfilment; attainment of anything desired; realization of results"), while exemplifying it with quotes from seventeenth-century authors (Francis Quarles, Thomas Browne, James Howell) that illustrate only the traditional sense.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fruition was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near fruition

Cite this Entry

“Fruition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruition. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fruition

noun
fru·​i·​tion
frü-ˈish-ən
1
: the state of bearing fruit
2
: the state of being real or complete : realization, accomplishment
brought her dreams to fruition

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