achieve
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain
-
to gain as by hard work or effort
to achieve success
Related Words
See do 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of achieve
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English acheven, from Old French achever “to finish,” from phrase a chef “to (the) head,” i.e., “to conclusion”; see chief
Explanation
If you achieve something, you've reached a goal. Achievements aren't accidents. If you stumble upon a treasure chest, you haven't achieved something; however, achieving a promotion to become CEO is another story. If someone asks you to give an example of the word achieve, you can always reach for Shakespeare's much quoted remark from his play Twelfth Night. In Act II, Scene V, the character Malvolio says, ". . . some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." Pundits like to throw that quote around when talking about politicians. Of course, they usually disagree about if, when, and how the politician achieved greatness.
Vocabulary lists containing achieve
The AP English Exam: The Language of the Test
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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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.
"Mission Wild is about accepting that challenge and setting out to achieve a wilder Gloucestershire, with benefits for people, communities and nature," McLaughlin added.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
“There’s this take out there that all LEDs are bad, but that’s not the case. You can achieve warmer colors with LEDs,” Longcore said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
McGinn said that, speaking from a strict military preparedness perspective, there can never be enough depth and that the only way to achieve more depth is to invest in more breadth.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
Gruenke said this seemed better than what he might achieve at trial.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
The urge to penetrate unknown realms, to achieve something original, may be felt by every one of us now and than.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Definitions 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.
