achievement
Americannoun
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something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great courage, etc.; a great or heroic deed.
his remarkable achievements in art.
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the act of achieving; attainment or accomplishment.
the achievement of one's object.
- Synonyms:
- realization, fulfillment
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Heraldry. the full display of the armorial bearings of an individual or corporation.
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Digital Technology. a title or icon associated with a user profile or account that indicates the person's skill or rank in an online community, especially on a gaming platform.
noun
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something that has been accomplished, esp by hard work, ability, or heroism
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successful completion; accomplishment
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heraldry a less common word for hatchment
Usage
What does achievement mean? An achievement is a great accomplishment—something achieved with great effort or skill.Achieve and achievement often imply the completion of something important or difficult—a lofty goal or a great feat. Graduating high school is an achievement. Learning a new language is an achievement. An award is an achievement.Achievement can also refer to the act of achieving, as in We need to focus on the achievement of these goals. This sense of the word doesn’t always imply impressiveness by itself—it often means the same thing as completion.Example: Becoming a nurse is a major achievement—it represents years of hard work and sacrifice.
Related Words
Achievement, exploit, feat are terms for a noteworthy act. Achievement connotes final accomplishment of something noteworthy, after much effort and often in spite of obstacles and discouragements: a scientific achievement. Exploit connotes boldness, bravery, and usually ingenuity: the famous exploit of an aviator. Feat connotes the performance of something difficult, generally demanding skill and strength: a feat of horsemanship.
Other Word Forms
- superachievement noun
Etymology
Origin of achievement
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French achevement “conclusion”; equivalent to achieve + -ment
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.
Jayawardhana said Caltech’s achievements are rooted in its “deceptively simple formula: empowering brilliant minds to explore important questions with imagination and courage and making bold commitments to efforts others might consider too risky or far-fetched.”
From Los Angeles Times
With the latest achievement in the rearview mirror, D-Wave is looking ahead to building bigger, more complex machines.
From Barron's
That achievement allows the robots to sense their environment and respond independently.
From Science Daily
Despite strong résumés and long lists of achievements, they worry that others will eventually realize they do not truly belong.
From Science Daily
In the Archives’ newly reopened museum, a permanent exhibit titled “The American Story” uses cutting-edge technology to present an immersive story of hope and achievement, timed for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
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.
