accomplish
Americanverb (used with object)
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accomplishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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accomplished,
past participle, past
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accomplishing
present participle
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to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish.
to accomplish one's mission.
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to complete (a distance or period of time).
to have accomplished the age of 70;
We accomplished the journey in little more than an hour.
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Archaic. to provide polish to; perfect.
verb
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to manage to do; achieve
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to conclude successfully; complete
Usage
What does accomplish mean? Accomplish means to carry out or finish an action—to complete what you set out to do. To accomplish a goal is to complete it. Accomplish is often (though not always) used in the context of completing a set goal—one that is planned or desired before it is accomplished. Accomplish is generally used in a positive way in the context of completing beneficial goals (though a person can accomplish bad things—many supervillains hope to accomplish a global takeover). The completion of a goal or anything accomplished can be called an accomplishment, which means about the same thing as achievement. Someone who has accomplished many impressive things in life or in their career can be described with the adjective accomplished. It’s especially used to indicate that a person is very experienced, skilled, and perhaps awarded in their field, as in an accomplished singer. Much less commonly, accomplish can mean to reach a destination or certain age, as in I never thought I would accomplish the age of 100. Example: I’m hoping to accomplish everything on my to-do list today.
Synonym Usage
See do 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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accomplishernoun
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preaccomplishverb (used with object)
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accomplishableadjective
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unaccomplishableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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accomplishsimple
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accomplishessimple
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have accomplishedperfect
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has accomplishedperfect
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am accomplishingprogressive
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are accomplishingprogressive
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is accomplishingprogressive
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have been accomplishingperfect progressive
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has been accomplishingperfect progressive
Past
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accomplishedsimple
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had accomplishedperfect
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was accomplishingprogressive
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were accomplishingprogressive
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had been accomplishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of accomplish
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French accompliss-, stem of acomplir, equivalent to a- ac- + complir, ultimately from Latin complēre “to fill”; see complete, -ish 2
Explanation
To accomplish something is to get it done. People usually accomplish things that are sources of pride — like goals or records. But people accomplish immoral acts as well — like scandals or cons. The verb accomplish also means to bring about or put into effect. The CEO stood before the employees and outlined all she expected to be accomplished in the next year. She ended her speech by saying, "If we are to accomplish this, we must all work together — and work hard — but the rewards if we succeed will be great both for the company and for those that work here. Thank you for your efforts!"
Vocabulary lists containing accomplish
List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, 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:
"After nearly 30 years in public office, I have come to understand the limits of what government can justly accomplish," Newsom said.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Both of the releases successfully accomplish their goals and deliver a worthwhile experience for interested listeners, but follow different paths to reach their respective sonic destinations.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
Can’t we just enjoy the fact they’re the first Bruins team to accomplish this in more than 20 years?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Users can describe business goals, then plugins in ChatGPT bring together the right tools and information to help them accomplish what they want to do, Oracle said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
“I don’t entirely know what he aims to accomplish here. Do you?”
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
"Caleb's work accomplishes all of this and more, and on a massive evolutionary scale."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
Being more intentional about your job search accomplishes two goals.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
That’s still not a reason for a “second best” policy that accomplishes no real goal except to distort market choices in favor of lighter vehicles that have been estimated to kill 3,000-plus motorists a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Part of the issue is that much of the good that a president accomplishes occurs during the first year of a term—and is immediately priced in.
From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026
The analogy is more poetic than precise, for the cell accomplishes its “burning” with only the moderate heat of the body’s normal temperature.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
"I admit that in the fight for democracy we have accomplished nothing, but I believe in sowing seeds and giving them a chance to grow," he told AFP in 2024.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Traditionally, researchers have accomplished this by accelerating gold nuclei to enormous speeds and crashing them into one another.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
You can see models of these amazing, otherworldly vehicles at the Oschin and thrill at the thought of all they have accomplished in the name of science.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The company has accomplished exactly the same thing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Though the gold markings were fading from his skin now that they’d accomplished their first task, it was the same magic that was in the paper.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Right now, rates in the current range of 3.75% to 4% don’t seem to be accomplishing that, Harker said on CNBC.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
"Given the critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners, our warriors are accomplishing truly incredible things," Zelensky said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Buffett was an enthusiastic supporter of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, stating in 2006 he "greatly" admired what it was accomplishing and promised to make yearly donations.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
On the court it’s all adrenaline and sweat and movement and leather and cheering and squeaking sneakers and high fives and the feeling that I can and am accomplishing something.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
