early 15c., "act of enjoying," from Old French fruition and directly from Late Latin fruitionem (nominative fruitio) "enjoyment," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin frui "to use, enjoy" (from PIE root *bhrug- "to enjoy"). Sense of "act or state of bearing fruit," resisted by dictionary editors, is attested by 1885, from association with fruit (n.); figuratively in this sense from 1889.