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

Thanks to “Cosmic Music,” anyone interested in her life and work doesn’t have to go comb through microfilm or ancient magazines to learn more about this unbelievably accomplished and completely fascinating human being.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

But several items from his lofty agenda have yet to be accomplished.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Your stories should demonstrate not only what you’ve accomplished, but that you did so with the right attitude and temperament.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

All of this was accomplished with minimal American losses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

This could only be accomplished if large foundations and international agencies became more involved.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

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