accomplishment

American  

[uh-kom-plish-muhnt] / əˈkɒm plɪʃ mənt /

noun

• accomplishments
  plural

1. an act or instance of carrying into effect; fulfillment.

   the accomplishment of our desires.

   Synonyms:

   execution, completion

   Antonyms:

   failure

2. something done admirably or creditably.

   Space exploration is a major accomplishment of science.

3. anything accomplished; deed; achievement.

   a career measured in a series of small accomplishments.

   Synonyms:

   consummation

4. Often accomplishments.

   1. a grace, skill, or knowledge expected in polite society.

   2. any acquired ability or knowledge.

   Synonyms:

   proficiency, acquisition

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accomplishment British  

/ əˈkɒmplɪʃmənt, əˈkʌm- /

noun

1. the act of carrying out or achieving

2. something achieved or successfully completed

3. (often plural) skill or talent

4. (often plural) social grace, style, and poise

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Usage

What does accomplishment mean? An accomplishment is something that has been accomplished—achieved, carried out, or finished. To accomplish a goal is to complete it. The word achievement means about the same thing. Accomplish and achieve can be used as synonyms, but they sometimes imply slightly different things. Achieve and achievement often imply the completion of something important or difficult—a lofty goal or a great feat. You can accomplish a lofty goal or a great feat, but the word accomplish itself doesn’t typically imply this. Rather, it usually just means to complete something (regardless of how impressive it is). However, this sense of accomplishment is usually used in the context of the completion of actions or goals that are at least somewhat impressive—or that take a good amount of effort. Graduating high school is an accomplishment. Learning a new language is an accomplishment. Accomplishment can also refer to the act of accomplishing, as in We need to focus on the accomplishment of these goals. This sense of the word doesn’t typically imply impressiveness by itself—it means the same thing as completion. Example: Make sure you list all your major accomplishments on your resume.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preaccomplishment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accomplishments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of accomplishment

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; accomplish + -ment; compare French accomplissement

Explanation

An accomplishment is something notable that you've done. Graduating from college with honors is an accomplishment. First used in the 15th century, the noun accomplishment derives from the Old French word acomplir, meaning "to fulfill, fill up, complete." An accomplishment is something you've completed successfully. The word often refers to a goal that you've achieved. If you're a runner, you'd consider completing a marathon to be a great accomplishment. Gaining a new skill can also be an accomplishment. Speaking French fluently might be an accomplishment that makes you really proud.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accomplishment accomplishments

That her visually striking commentaries are emotionally arresting makes that accomplishment all the more impressive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Graves told ProPublica that he had high regard for Bunch — “his accomplishment with the African American museum was remarkable” — but that he became worried that the Smithsonian was operating within a bubble.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

The Times: What do you feel, since you joined the council, has been your biggest accomplishment?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

For example, you could list a professional accomplishment: “Boosted sales by $1.5 million during the second quarter by adding 100 new clients.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Were complex features such as intelligence, intellectual accomplishment, or beauty, say, variant in the same manner?

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The 39th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards — which will honor the contributions and accomplishments of Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America — will air nationwide Friday on PBS.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

At this year's 9th Party Congress of the Korean Workers' Party, Kim Jong Un was emboldened and spoke of accomplishments that his grandfather Kim Il Sung and father Kim Jong Il never achieved.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

These types of specific accomplishments can be game changers on your résumé, because they help show your positive impact on a company during your time there.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

That team also incorporated Apple’s highly rated chips in its Mac computers, one of its less appreciated but more consequential accomplishments of recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

The Arctic accomplishments of Dr. Kane paled next to the battlefield heroism of Civil War soldiers.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• ability
• achievement
• capability
• deed
• effort
• exploit
• feat
• performance
• skill
• talent
• triumph