accomplish

American  

[uh-kom-plish] / əˈkɒm plɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish.

   to accomplish one's mission.

   Synonyms:

   effect, execute, fulfill, complete

2. to complete (a distance or period of time).

   to have accomplished the age of 70;

   We accomplished the journey in little more than an hour.

3. Archaic. to provide polish to; perfect.

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accomplish British  

/ əˈkɒmplɪʃ, əˈkʌm- /

verb

1. to manage to do; achieve

2. to conclude successfully; complete

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Usage

What does accomplish mean? Accomplish means to carry out or finish an action—to complete what you set out to do. To accomplish a goal is to complete it. Accomplish is often (though not always) used in the context of completing a set goal—one that is planned or desired before it is accomplished. Accomplish is generally used in a positive way in the context of completing beneficial goals (though a person can accomplish bad things—many supervillains hope to accomplish a global takeover). The completion of a goal or anything accomplished can be called an accomplishment, which means about the same thing as achievement. Someone who has accomplished many impressive things in life or in their career can be described with the adjective accomplished. It’s especially used to indicate that a person is very experienced, skilled, and perhaps awarded in their field, as in an accomplished singer. Much less commonly, accomplish can mean to reach a destination or certain age, as in I never thought I would accomplish the age of 100. Example: I’m hoping to accomplish everything on my to-do list today.

Related Words

See do ¹.

Other Word Forms

• accomplishable adjective
• accomplisher noun
• preaccomplish verb (used with object)
• unaccomplishable adjective

Etymology

Origin of accomplish

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French accompliss-, stem of acomplir, equivalent to a- ac- + complir, ultimately from Latin complēre “to fill”; complete, -ish ²

Explanation

To accomplish something is to get it done. People usually accomplish things that are sources of pride — like goals or records. But people accomplish immoral acts as well — like scandals or cons. The verb accomplish also means to bring about or put into effect. The CEO stood before the employees and outlined all she expected to be accomplished in the next year. She ended her speech by saying, "If we are to accomplish this, we must all work together — and work hard — but the rewards if we succeed will be great both for the company and for those that work here. Thank you for your efforts!"

Example Sentences

But, as internet searches peak for “tax extension,” it’s time to be clear what they accomplish.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Mamdani still has a host of other goals he highlighted on the campaign trail - some easier to accomplish than others.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

The Artemis II mission seeks to accomplish a lunar return with an astronaut flyby.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Holdsclaw won three straight titles at Tennessee from 1996-98, the first team to accomplish that.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

It’s not every day you wake up with a mission on your mind, but I had a mission and I was determined to accomplish it.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• achieve
• attain
• bring about
• carry out
• conclude
• do
• finish
• manage
• perform
• produce
• pull off
• reach
• realize
• score
• take care of
• win