Full (adjective) means containing as much or as many things as possible, with no empty space remaining. It also means complete or thorough. As an adverb, it means completely or directly: she looked him full in the face.
What Does Full Mean?
Full comes from Old English full, meaning "complete" or "filled to capacity". It descends from Proto-Germanic *fullaz, which is also the root of German voll, Dutch vol, and Old Norse fullr. The word has remained almost unchanged in spelling and core meaning for over a thousand years, making it one of the most ancient and stable words in the English language.
In modern British English, full is used in a wide range of contexts. Its primary sense is physical capacity: a full glass, a full room, a full car park. It extends naturally to abstract uses: a full explanation, full marks, full attention, a full life. As an adverb it appears in formal or literary contexts — full well, full circle, hit full in the face — where it means completely or directly.
Understanding full also means learning its collocations carefully. British English uses full stop for the punctuation mark (American English: period). Full time is used both as an adjective (a full-time job) and an adverb (she works full time). Full marks means 100% in a test, and full board describes accommodation that includes all meals.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| The hall was full — there were no seats left. | A2 | full describing a room at capacity |
| I can't eat any more; I'm completely full. | A2 | full meaning having eaten enough |
| Please give me your full name and address. | B1 | full meaning complete, not abbreviated |
| The manager gave her full support throughout the project. | B2 | full meaning total or unreserved |
| She understood full well what the consequences would be. | C1 | full as adverb in the fixed phrase "full well" |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| full of | The park was full of children. |
| full time | She works full time at the hospital. |
| full stop | Don't forget the full stop at the end of the sentence. (British English) |
| full moon | The wolves howled at the full moon. |
| full marks | He got full marks on the grammar test. |
| full speed | The train was travelling at full speed. |
| full attention | Please give the speaker your full attention. |
| full details | Visit the website for full details of the event. |
| full capacity | The stadium was operating at full capacity. |
| fully booked | I'm sorry, the restaurant is fully booked this evening. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for Learners
- full + of (not with): The box is full of books. Never "full with books".
- full vs fully: Use fully as an adverb before adjectives and past participles: fully prepared, fully booked, fully charged. Use full as an adverb only in set phrases: full well, full circle.
- full vs whole: Full stresses maximum capacity (nothing more can fit). Whole stresses completeness as a unit (nothing is missing). Compare: a full glass (no room left) vs a whole glass (all of the contents).
- British note: Full stop = the punctuation mark . — American English uses period for this.
- Idiomatic use: Full of yourself = conceited. In full swing = at its most active. Come full circle = return to the starting point.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The box is full with books.
The box is full of books. (full + of, not with)
She is fully of energy today.
She is full of energy today. (full, not fully, before "of")
He fully well knew the answer.
He knew full well the answer. / He knew the answer full well. (fixed phrase: full well, not fully well)
The hotel is full booked.
The hotel is fully booked. (adverb before past participle = fully)