accomplish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
accomplishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
accomplished,
past participle, past
-
accomplishing
present participle
-
to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish.
to accomplish one's mission.
-
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.
-
Archaic. to provide polish to; perfect.
verb
-
to manage to do; achieve
-
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
-
accomplishernoun
-
preaccomplishverb (used with object)
-
accomplishableadjective
-
unaccomplishableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
accomplishsimple
-
accomplishessimple
-
have accomplishedperfect
-
has accomplishedperfect
-
am accomplishingprogressive
-
are accomplishingprogressive
-
is accomplishingprogressive
-
have been accomplishingperfect progressive
-
has been accomplishingperfect progressive
Past
-
accomplishedsimple
-
had accomplishedperfect
-
was accomplishingprogressive
-
were accomplishingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
JetBlue shares rallied on Tuesday after the beleaguered airline sought to allay worries about its business, saying it’s on the cusp of being profitable again — something it hasn’t managed to accomplish since 2019.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
To accomplish this, the researchers arranged optical components with repeating spectral responses in a sequence.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
"The team who work on the show bring energy and creativity and a fresh look at our TV offer. I am extremely proud of what they continue to accomplish."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
“The sadness is we just didn’t accomplish our goal,” Muncy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
I was optimistic about what our evidence might accomplish in the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
The Harvard chip accomplishes this using tiny electrical currents.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Being more intentional about your job search accomplishes two goals.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
By itself, DNA, which lies in every living cell, accomplishes nothing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
This isn’t meant to reduce Bertei’s work or what she accomplishes; it’s meant to point out that this is how it should actually happen all of the time, but rarely does.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 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
RSI readings above 70 are believed to depict overbought conditions, which is a technical term that suggests buyers need some time to digest what they just accomplished.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
He started by hiring three accomplished women sports executives sports executives who hadn’t yet worked in top roles—and they’re now “making me look good,” Lacob said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Lynne Tracy left Moscow in 2025 feeling she had accomplished her primary mission: the US Embassy had held firm.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
However, that same make-or-break standard hasn’t been applied to many of Hurts’ peers, even those who have accomplished less than Hurts.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
In a meeting with Le Duc Tho, Kissinger quipped that he had accomplished the impossible: he had unified Vietnam.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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
"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
She appears to be accomplishing all three of those goals.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Finally Kat tries, and even he reappears without accomplishing anything.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
