accomplished
Americanadjective
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completed; done; effected.
an accomplished fact.
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highly skilled; expert.
an accomplished pianist.
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having all the social graces, manners, and other attainments of polite society.
adjective
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successfully completed; achieved
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expert; proficient
Usage
What does accomplished mean? Accomplished is used to describe someone who has achieved many impressive things in life or in their career. The verb 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. Some who is considered accomplished has accomplished a lot. The word is especially used to indicate that a person is very experienced, skilled, and perhaps awarded in their field. It is often paired with words for different professions or hobbies, as in accomplished pianist, accomplished surgeon, and accomplished baker. The word can also be used to describe a work that is considered a special achievement, as in His new album is an accomplished entry in his catalog of work. Example: Tina is an accomplished coder—you could learn a lot from her.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of accomplished
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; accomplish + -ed 2
Explanation
The adjective accomplished is useful for describing someone who's very good at something. You might use it to talk about yourself if you are an accomplished — or highly skilled — sword swallower. An accomplished ice skater is someone who can do one of those fancy twirls on the ice, and an accomplished cupcake baker is someone you want to be friends with. Another way to use the word accomplished is to mean "successfully completed or finished." You might say, "I accomplished my goal of climbing the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River." Next up: Everest.
Vocabulary lists containing accomplished
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Are You Experienced? Synonyms for "Expert"
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Pro Tips: Synonyms for "Skilled"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Three weeks on from the statue coming down, America's President, George W Bush, stood aboard a US aircraft carrier, anchored off the Californian coast, behind a banner saying "Mission Accomplished".
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
It’s also way too early for him to declare Mission Accomplished.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Given all this, the question begs to be asked: Are we letting our guard down while waving the Mission Accomplished flag?
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2023
Accomplished enough, at the very least, to reawaken worst-case fears regarding the future of human radio jobs, no matter what you actually make of RadioGPT’s humanoid talent.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2023
Accomplished wordsmiths identify a need while writing, or spot a problem in a sentence while revising, and when all goes well the suitable word or construction pops into mind.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
