achieve
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain
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to gain as by hard work or effort
to achieve success
Synonym Usage
See do 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preachievedadjective
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achievableadjective
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achievernoun
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unachievedadjective
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well-achievedadjective
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superachievernoun
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outachieveverb (used with object)
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unachievableadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have achievedperfect
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has achievedperfect 3rd person singular
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are achievingprogressive
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has been achievingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is achievingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been achievingperfect progressive
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am achievingprogressive 1st person singular
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achievingparticiple
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achievessingular 3rd person
Past
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had achievedperfect
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was achievingprogressive singular
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had been achievingperfect progressive
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were achievingprogressive plural
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achievedparticiple
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achievedsimple
Future
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.
To achieve that, the companies need to have costly high-end chips, build expansive data centers, manage power requirements and recruit top-tier researchers who demand multimillion-dollar offers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Many of these “initiatives” or dreams, the company admits, “involve significant technical complexity, unproven technologies, or technologies that do not exist or may require significant advancement, and such initiatives may not achieve commercial viability.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
In private equity, a roll-up has historically meant buying companies, consolidating them to achieve an economy of scale and then flipping the larger entity for profit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
"I think they can achieve a lot. I think a quarter-final berth would be expected at this stage," said 43-year-old fan Eric Gordon, attending with his young nephew Oliver.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
They discovered that they could achieve much better results by sowing the grains deep in the ground rather than haphazardly scattering them on the surface.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
