achieve

[ uh-cheev ]

See synonyms for achieve on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),a·chieved, a·chiev·ing.

to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish: The police crackdown on speeders achieved its purpose.
to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain: to achieve victory.

verb (used without object),a·chieved, a·chiev·ing.

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

Origin of achieve

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”; see chief

synonym study For achieve

1. See do¹.

Other words for achieve

1	consummate, complete; effect, execute; realize, reach
2	realize, win

See synonyms for achieve on Thesaurus.com

Other words from achieve

a·chiev·a·ble, adjective
a·chiev·er, noun
out·a·chieve, verb (used with object), out·a·chieved, out·a·chiev·ing
pre·a·chieved, adjective
su·per·a·chiev·er, noun
un·a·chiev·a·ble, adjective
un·a·chieved, adjective
well-a·chieved, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use achieve in a sentence

I was drawn to The Class for different reasons—chiefly, the pipe dream of achieving a tighter and tauter backside.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Boys are taught early in life to devalue care, to be hyper-competitive, super-achieving men.
How Good Dads Can Change the World | Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
We want committed romantic relationships just as we always have, but something is getting in the way of us achieving them.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating | Ellie Schaack | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Now, the goalkeeper is out with a memoir about his life until that point: The Keeper: A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them.
Tim Howard’s Wall of Intensity | William O’Connor | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
By reaching out to a local high school or non-profit to become a mentor for a high achieving, low-income student.
Forget the Kids Who Can’t Get In; What About Those Who Don’t Even Apply? | Jonah Edelman | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

What means had the Company of waging such a war, and what chance of achieving such a triumph?
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay
I suspect her of a deliberate intention of achieving parallel results by parallel methods.
The New Machiavelli | Herbert George Wells
Herbert Murray and Chivey now pressed forward, resolved to try and gain the pasha's reward and the glory of achieving her capture.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks | Bracebridge Hemyng
She must contribute her full share in achieving these results.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol. 3 (of 4) | W. Grant Hague
He was one of the few poets of America at that period who had succeeded in achieving an international reputation.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year | Edwin Emerson

British Dictionary definitions for achieve

achieve

/ (əˈtʃiːv) /

verb(tr)

to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain
to gain as by hard work or effort: to achieve success

Origin of achieve

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

Derived forms of achieve

achievable, adjective
achiever, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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