What does fully mean?
"Fully" is an adverb meaning completely or to the fullest possible degree. It signals that something is entire, thorough, or carried out without omission: a flight can be fully booked, a person fully aware, a building fully renovated. The word derives from the adjective "full" combined with the adverbial suffix "-ly," tracing back through Middle English to Old English "full," a term of long standing in the Germanic languages. In modern usage it is remarkably versatile, appearing in formal contexts such as contracts and technical documentation as well as casual conversation, and it commonly pairs with participles and adjectives to intensify them — fully equipped, fully committed, fully prepared. Its antonyms include "partially" and "incompletely," words that mark something as falling short of the whole. Because so much of English communication turns on degrees of completeness, "fully" remains one of the most practical and frequently used intensifying adverbs in the language.
adverbTo the fullest extent or degree; completely or entirely. Also used to emphasize that something is done thoroughly or with all attention.
- Completely; to the greatest extent or degree (e.g. fully aware, fully recovered).
- Thoroughly or in complete detail; with nothing omitted (e.g. fully explain the plan).
"The report was fully revised before publication."
"Passengers must be fully seated before takeoff."
"She wasn't fully convinced by his explanation."
Built from Old English "full," one of the language's oldest intensifiers, "fully" has been telling us when something is truly, completely done for over a thousand years.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fully
"Fully" is formed from the Old English adjective "full" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly," following the regular pattern by which English creates adverbs from adjectives. The underlying adjective "full" comes from Old English "full," meaning containing as much as possible, which itself traces to the Proto-Germanic *fullaz and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root *pelh₁-, the same root behind Latin "plenus" (full) and its descendants such as "plenty." Words sharing this deep origin include "fill," "fulfill," and "fullness," all expressing completeness.
Related word forms
How fully is actually used
"Fully" is neutral in register and works equally well in formal writing and everyday speech. It frequently appears before adjectives and participles (fully loaded, fully furnished) and is often used emphatically where a plain adjective would understate the case.
Easily confused with fully
"Wholly" means entirely in an absolute sense, while "fully" emphasizes completeness of extent or thoroughness and is far more common in everyday use.