accomplished

American  

[uh-kom-plisht] / əˈkɒm plɪʃt /

adjective

1. completed; done; effected.

   an accomplished fact.

2. highly skilled; expert.

   an accomplished pianist.

3. having all the social graces, manners, and other attainments of polite society.

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accomplished British  

/ əˈkʌm-, əˈkɒmplɪʃt /

adjective

1. successfully completed; achieved

2. expert; proficient

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Usage

What does accomplished mean? Accomplished is used to describe someone who has achieved many impressive things in life or in their career. The verb 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. Some who is considered accomplished has accomplished a lot. The word is especially used to indicate that a person is very experienced, skilled, and perhaps awarded in their field. It is often paired with words for different professions or hobbies, as in accomplished pianist, accomplished surgeon, and accomplished baker. The word can also be used to describe a work that is considered a special achievement, as in His new album is an accomplished entry in his catalog of work. Example: Tina is an accomplished coder—you could learn a lot from her.

Other Word Forms

• superaccomplished adjective
• well-accomplished adjective

Etymology

Origin of accomplished

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; accomplish + -ed ²

Explanation

The adjective accomplished is useful for describing someone who's very good at something. You might use it to talk about yourself if you are an accomplished — or highly skilled — sword swallower. An accomplished ice skater is someone who can do one of those fancy twirls on the ice, and an accomplished cupcake baker is someone you want to be friends with. Another way to use the word accomplished is to mean "successfully completed or finished." You might say, "I accomplished my goal of climbing the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River." Next up: Everest.

Example Sentences

“That was accomplished and accommodated by the guys that we signed or re-signed, or that we have under contract,” he said, “so we feel really good.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

"We're starting to see projects that used to take big teams now be accomplished by a single, very talented person," he said at the time.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

But even seasoned counterterrorism analysts struggle to recall what he’s accomplished as its supposed leader.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

Lori Inglis Hall’s accomplished debut, “The Shock of the Light,” examines the siblings’ special bond while charting their separate fates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He didn’t care: He’d just accomplished what the finest players in the world had been unable to do on twenty occasions during the previous nine months.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• adept
• consummate
• gifted
• polished
• proficient
• skillful
• talented