fait accompli

American  

[fe ta-kawn-plee] / fɛ ta kɔ̃ˈpli /

noun

French.

plural

faits accomplis

1. an accomplished fact; a thing already done.

   The enemy's defeat was a fait accompli long before the formal surrender.

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fait accompli British  

/ fɛt akɔ̃pli /

noun

1. something already done and beyond alteration

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fait accompli Cultural  

1. Something that has already been done: “The company president did not discuss the new hiring policy with her board of directors; instead she put it into effect and presented the board with a fait accompli.” From French, meaning “an accomplished fact.”

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Etymology

Origin of fait accompli

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

The last Bruins coach to survive that scenario was Ben Howland, who immediately entered the next season on the hot seat, his fate seemingly a fait accompli.

From Los Angeles Times

Even though everyone assumed his return was a fait accompli, there were a few red flags around.

From BBC

Or at least not as much of a fait accompli as we’ve seen in the recent past.

From Los Angeles Times

"We thought it was a fait accompli. We assumed that was where the orcas were going, it looked like a done deal."

From BBC

But his promise to review consultant contracts that have been normally regarded as a fait accompli is a good start, some observers say.

From Salon