fruition

noun

fru·ition | \ frü-ˈi-shən

Definition of fruition

1 : pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment the sweet fruition of an earthly crown— Christopher Marlowe

2a : the state of bearing fruit the fields needed rain for fruition— Pearl Buck

b : realization

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about fruition

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Did You Know?

Fruition must come from the word fruit, right? Not exactly. Fruition and fruit are related (both ultimately come from the Latin verb frui, meaning "to enjoy"), but they were derived independently. The original meaning of fruition had nothing to do with fruit. Rather, when the term was first used in the early 15th century, it meant only "pleasurable use or possession." Not until the 19th century 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

So talking about them before anything is public could cause valuable employees to take other jobs even though the layoffs may not come to fruition. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, "Damage control: How managers can recover from common blunders," 11 Sep. 2019 And this is why the dream of a left-leaning media ecosystem as heavily subsidized as the American right’s propaganda machine will never come to fruition. — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, "ThinkProgress Was Always Doomed," 11 Sep. 2019 The two sides had built up too much animosity in the few weeks prior for that decision to come to fruition. — Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s what happened between Antonio Brown and the Raiders," 8 Sep. 2019 If high growth scenarios come to fruition, the district could field more than 13,000 students by 2027, which is up from about 9,100 in 2018. — Chris Shelton, Houston Chronicle, "After $285 million bond Sheldon ISD nears debuts of new football stadium, high school," 5 Sep. 2019 What looked to be a bonus for Indy, the unexpected availability of starting defender Neveal Hackshaw, ended up not coming to fruition. — Kevin Johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Indy Eleven fend off conference-leading NYRB II, extend home unbeaten streak with late win," 4 Sep. 2019 Lang also helped organized anniversary festivals in 1994 and 1999 and was the driving force behind Woodstock 50, an anniversary concert set for upstate New York that ultimately did not come to fruition. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "Woodstock's Michael Lang to Speak at Billboard Live Music Summit," 4 Sep. 2019 He was viewed by many as the next superstar quarterback when he was drafted out of Stanford, but persistent injuries will prevent NFL fans from seeing those expectations from coming to fruition. — Dan Brechlin, courant.com, "Notable Connecticut football coaches, voices react to Andrew Luck’s early retirement," 1 Sep. 2019 For now, there's a long way to go before that comes to fruition. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football's defense is counting on Brad Hawkins at safety," 30 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fruition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for fruition

fruition

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fruition

: the state of being real or complete

See the full definition for fruition in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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fruition

Definition of fruition

Synonyms & Antonyms for fruition

Did You Know?

Examples of fruition in a Sentence

First Known Use of fruition

History and Etymology for fruition

English Language Learners Definition of fruition

fruition

Definition of fruition

Synonyms & Antonyms for fruition

Did You Know?

Examples of fruition in a Sentence

First Known Use of fruition

History and Etymology for fruition

English Language Learners Definition of fruition

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