achievement

[uh-cheev-muhnt]

noun

1. something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great courage, etc.; a great or heroic deed.

   his remarkable achievements in art.

2. the act of achieving; attainment or accomplishment.

   the achievement of one's object.

   Synonyms: realization, fulfillment

3. Heraldry.,  the full display of the armorial bearings of an individual or corporation.

4. Digital Technology.,  a title or icon associated with a user profile or account that indicates the person's skill or rank in an online community, especially on a gaming platform.

achievement

/ əˈtʃiːvmənt /

noun

1. something that has been accomplished, esp by hard work, ability, or heroism

2. successful completion; accomplishment

3. heraldry a less common word for hatchment

Other Word Forms

• superachievement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of achievement¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French achevement “conclusion”; equivalent to achieve + -ment

Synonym Study

Achievement, exploit, feat are terms for a noteworthy act. Achievement connotes final accomplishment of something noteworthy, after much effort and often in spite of obstacles and discouragements: a scientific achievement. Exploit connotes boldness, bravery, and usually ingenuity: the famous exploit of an aviator. Feat connotes the performance of something difficult, generally demanding skill and strength: a feat of horsemanship.

Example Sentences

Stunned by the surprise call, Machado calls the award "an achievement of a whole society" adding that "I am just one person".

Read more on Barron's

It carried the suggestion that black players often had to play harder to overcome prejudice—and the book underscores exactly how that drove some of them to greater achievements than anyone else on the field.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Machado expressed shock in response to the award, saying it was the "achievement of a whole society".

Read more on BBC

In another positive development for L.A., the achievement gap narrowed slightly between Asian and white students compared to Black and Latino students.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The firm noted that Oracle’s backlog of remaining performance obligations surged 359% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 to $455 billion, an achievement that has earned it plenty of praise.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• accomplishment 
• attainment 
• creation 
• deed 
• effort 
• feat 
• performance 
• realization 
• success 
• triumph 
• victory 

When To Use

What does achievement mean?

An achievement is a great accomplishment—something achieved with great effort or skill.Achieve and achievement often imply the completion of something important or difficult—a lofty goal or a great feat. Graduating high school is an achievement. Learning a new language is an achievement. An award is an achievement.Achievement can also refer to the act of achieving, as in We need to focus on the achievement of these goals. This sense of the word doesn’t always imply impressiveness by itself—it often means the same thing as completion.Example: Becoming a nurse is a major achievement—it represents years of hard work and sacrifice.