achievement
Americannoun
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achievements
plural
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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.
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of achievement
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French achevement “conclusion”; equivalent to achieve + -ment
Explanation
Achievement is another word for accomplishment. My greatest achievement to date is the time I won the annual hay-stacking contest at the county fair. That was twenty darn years ago, but I still look back fondly on that moment and the trophy I got to take home. A noun used to describe something finished successfully or the act of accomplishing, achievement comes from the similarly spelled Middle French achievement “a finishing.” For some people, just being able to make it to work every day on time could be considered an achievement, but the word is usually applied to feats of more heroic proportions. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart.”
Vocabulary lists containing achievement
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List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
He called the developments his “crowning achievement for life” and presented the investigation as a victory for his program.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
The vote handed Lula, a former trade union leader, a major victory just 10 days before the runoff, giving him a popular achievement to champion among working-class voters who have traditionally formed his political base.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
He was ready for what would become his most notable achievement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
This year’s state test scores provided a mixed send-off for the education legacy of Gov. Gavin Newsom, with incremental gains in English and math, but results that continue to fall short of prepandemic achievement levels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
All those appointments and operations, all the time spent sitting and waiting—and the one major achievement I had to show for it was being taken away.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
We felt embarrassed that our achievements set us apart from the rest of the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Living longer is one of the great achievements of public health," said Alain Labrique, head of the WHO's data department.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
The 39-year-old said because there was "nothing concrete", it was matter of allowing things to "play out" and none of his achievements are in any way tarnished.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
A poster from the Gold Over America Tour, which Biles launched in September 2021 following the Tokyo Olympics, completes the trio of framed achievements.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Marquesa de la Muerte was well known throughout the world for her early achievements.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
