achieve

[uh-cheev]

verb (used with object)

achieved, achieving 

1. to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish.

   The police crackdown on speeders achieved its purpose.

   Synonyms: reach, realize, execute, effect, complete, consummate

2. to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain.

   to achieve victory.

   Synonyms: win, realize

verb (used without object)

achieved, achieving 

1. to bring about an intended result; accomplish some purpose or effect.

achieve

/ əˈtʃiːv /

verb

1. to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain

2. to gain as by hard work or effort

   to achieve success

Other Word Forms

• achievable adjective
• achiever noun
• outachieve verb (used with object)
• preachieved adjective
• superachiever noun
• unachievable adjective
• unachieved adjective
• well-achieved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of achieve¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English acheven, from Old French achever “to finish,” from phrase a chef “to (the) head,” i.e., “to conclusion”; chief

Word History and Origins

Origin of achieve¹

C14: from Old French achever to bring to an end, from the phrase a chef to a head, to a conclusion

Synonym Study

See do ¹.

Example Sentences

“It’s just draining your tank and doing everything possible that you can possibly do on every single play for us to achieve success,” Skipper said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” is deeply concerned with the idea of the American dream — what it is and who is allowed to achieve it.

From Los Angeles Times

To achieve that he needs a credible way to declare "total victory", a phrase he has used repeatedly.

From BBC

The redeployed work coaches are not new recruits, but ministers hope they will help with the government's ambition to achieve an 80% overall employment rate and cut the rising cost of health and disability benefits.

From BBC

"When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, 'OK I've done what I wanted to achieve'," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• accomplish 
• attain 
• bring about 
• carry out 
• complete 
• conclude 
• do 
• earn 
• enact 
• end 
• gain 
• manage 
• obtain 
• produce 
• reach 
• realize 
• resolve 
• settle 
• sign 
• solve