full

1 of 5

adjective

ˈfu̇l How to pronounce full (audio)
 also  ˈfəl
1
: containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
a full hamper
often used with of
a bin full of corn
2
a
: complete especially in detail, number, or duration
a full report
gone a full hour
my full share
b
: lacking restraint, check, or qualification
full retreat
full support
c
: having all distinguishing characteristics : enjoying all authorized rights and privileges
full member
full professor
d
: not lacking in any essential : perfect
in full control of your senses
e(1)
: completely occupied by runners
came to bat with the bases full
(2)
: having three balls and two strikes
a full count
3
a
: being at the highest or greatest degree : maximum
full speed
full strength
b
: being at the height of development
full bloom
c
: being a full moon : completely illuminated
the moon is full tonight
4
: rounded in outline
a full figure
5
a
: possessing or containing a great number or amount
used with of
a room full of pictures
full of hope
b
: having an abundance of material especially in the form of gathered, pleated, or flared parts
a full skirt
c
used as an intensive to emphasize the large size of an amount
won by a full four strokes
was a full 3 months late with her payment
d
: rich in experience
a full life
6
a
: satisfied especially with food or drink
He was full after eating the large supper.
b
: large enough to satisfy
a full meal
7
archaic : completely weary
8
: having both parents in common
full sisters
9
: having volume or depth of sound
full tones
10
: completely occupied especially with a thought or plan
full of his own concerns
11
: possessing a rich or pronounced quality
a food of full flavor

full

2 of 5

adverb

1
a
: very, extremely
knew full well they had lied to me
b
: entirely
swung full aroundMorley Callaghan
2
: straight, squarely
got hit full in the face

full

3 of 5

noun

1
: the highest or fullest state or degree
the full of the moon
2
: the utmost extent
enjoy to the full

full

4 of 5

verb (1)

fulled; fulling; fulls

intransitive verb

of the moon : to become full

transitive verb

: to make full in sewing

full

5 of 5

verb (2)

fulled; fulling; fulls

transitive verb

: to shrink and thicken (woolen cloth) by moistening, heating, and pressing
Phrases
full of it
: not to be believed
in full
1
: to the requisite or complete amount
paid in full
2
: to the fullest extent : completely
read the book in full
Choose the Right Synonym for full

full, complete, plenary, replete mean containing all that is wanted or needed or possible.

full implies the presence or inclusion of everything that is wanted or required by something or that can be held, contained, or attained by it.

a full schedule

complete applies when all that is needed is present.

a complete picture of the situation

plenary adds to complete the implication of fullness without qualification.

given plenary power

replete implies being filled to the brim or to satiety.

replete with delightful details

Examples of full in a Sentence

Adjective The plane was carrying a full load of passengers. The theater was full to capacity. We bought a full set of dishes. They waited for three full months. He has a full array of stereo equipment. The soldiers were wearing full combat gear. This will be his first full season with the team. His theories have not yet found full acceptance. I hope that you'll give us your fullest cooperation. Please give me your full attention. Adverb The cup was filled full to the brim. The ball hit him full in the chest. He kissed her full on the lips. Noun the account is now paid in full
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The country’s in full meltdown, suggested more than depicted outright. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Watch his full interview with Billboard News above. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024 Love Is Blind season 6 is streaming in full on Netflix. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Earlier this year, Reuters reported that FTX was moving toward liquidation that should repay customers in full. Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 For the full conversation, check out the video above. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Recommended State of the Union: Biden in full campaign mode The incident appeared to confirm what Palestinians in Gaza already knew or believed: Any Israeli involvement would delegitimize and kill any alternative group providing services in Gaza. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 For both of her SNL sets, Musgraves sang while backed by a full band. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2024 The same can be said of our home tour this month, where a pair of music-industry bigwigs give us the run of their fabulous New Jersey mansion, full of memorabilia, fun (loving the bowling alley), and clever time-saving hacks that make their lives just that little bit easier. Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
All sizes will be available, including twins from $99, fulls ($149), queens ($199) and kings ($299). Don Maines, Houston Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2020 When in their feeding grounds, a gray whale typically eats about 1.3 tons of food — mouth-fulls of crustaceans, worms, shrimp and small, schooling fish — per day, according to researchers. Anchorage Daily News, 25 Jan. 2020 The idea of the world's greatest young talent moving to Bayern and playing under Pep Guardiola back in 2013 was one full of promise, but never was a fruitful situation in reality. SI.com, 16 Oct. 2019 My mother was crabbing at the end of the pier, dropping her steel net full of chicken guts Into the murky water, shimmering in July heat. T. R. Hummer, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2019 The Voyager probe of course famously bore a plaque that depicted our location in the galaxy as well as a golden record full of music and sounds from Earth. Shannon Stirone, Wired, 4 Oct. 2019 Scoring hat fulls of goals in quick succession might fill up most of Lewandowski's bitesize highlight reels, but the Poland international has actually been one of the most consistent goalscorers in recent years. SI.com, 27 Sep. 2019 Isabel is a beautiful full of heart and love young women. Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, 9 Sep. 2019 Meanwhile, their families have been arriving in waves, but their reunions, fulls of tears, have so far only been allowed through a window. Anna Werner, CBS News, 11 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'full.' 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

Adjective

Middle English ful, full, fol, going back to Old English full, going back to Germanic *fulla- (whence also Old Frisian ful, fol "full," Old Saxon full, Middle Dutch vol, Old High German fol, Old Icelandic fullr, Gothic fulls), going back to Indo-European *pl̥h1nó-, verbal adjective from the base *pleh1- "become full," whence also Old Irish lán "full," Welsh llawn (with length secondary if the proposed law shortening pretonic vowels in Celtic is valid), Latin plēnus (with -ē- from -plēre "to fill"), Old Church Slavic plĭnŭ, Russian pólnyj, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian pȕn, Lithuanian pìlnas, Sanskrit pūrṇáḥ, Avestan pərəna-; *pleh1- appears with varying ablaut and suffixation in Latin plēre "to fill" (from *plēi̯e-), verbal adjective plētus, Greek pímplēmi "(I) fill," plêto "(it) has become full," Armenian lnowm "(I) fill," Sanskrit pr̥ṇā́ti "(s/he) fills"

Note: For another presumed development of *pleh1- see poly-. Regarding the currency of the verb plēre in Latin see note at complete entry 1.

Adverb

Middle English ful, full "completely, entirely, very, quite," going back to Old English, derivative of full full entry 1

Noun

Middle English fulle "the whole amount, satisfactory amount," going back to Old English fulla, derivative of full full entry 1

Verb (1)

derivative of full entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English fullen "to full (cloth), trample down, oppress," borrowed from Anglo-French fuller, foler, fouler "to full (cloth), press (grapes), trample under foot, oppress," going back to Late Latin fullāre "to full (cloth)," verb derivative from the base of Latin fullōn-, fullō "fuller (of cloth), launderer," of obscure origin

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (1)

1785, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of full was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near full

Cite this Entry

“Full.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

full

1 of 3 adjective
1
: containing as much or as many as possible or normal
a bottle full of milk
the disk is full and will take no more data
2
a
: complete in number, amount, or duration
a full set of dishes
for a full hour
b
: not missing any essentials : perfect
in full control of the car
c
: being at the highest or greatest degree
in full bloom
at full power
full strength
d
: fully lighted
the moon is full
e
: completely occupied by runners
come to bat with the bases full
f
: having three balls and two strikes
a full count
3
a
: plump and rounded in outline
a full face
b
: having much material
a full skirt
4
: possessing or containing a great number or amount
a room full of pictures
full of hope
5
: satisfied especially with food or drink
6
: having the same parents
full sisters
7
: completely taken up especially with a thought or plan
full of one's own concerns
full of oneself
8
: having a rich quality
a full voice
fullness noun

full

2 of 3 adverb
1
a
: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely
knew full well who they were
b
: all the way : entirely
filled full
2
: smack entry 5, squarely
was hit full in the face

full

3 of 3 noun
: the highest state, extent, or degree

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