fait accompli

American  

[fe ta-kawn-plee] / fɛ ta kɔ̃ˈpli /

noun

French.

plural

faits accomplis

1. an accomplished fact; a thing already done.

   The enemy's defeat was a fait accompli long before the formal surrender.

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fait accompli British  

/ fɛt akɔ̃pli /

noun

1. something already done and beyond alteration

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fait accompli Cultural  

1. Something that has already been done: “The company president did not discuss the new hiring policy with her board of directors; instead she put it into effect and presented the board with a fait accompli.” From French, meaning “an accomplished fact.”

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Etymology

Origin of fait accompli

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Even though everyone assumed his return was a fait accompli, there were a few red flags around.

From BBC

Or at least not as much of a fait accompli as we’ve seen in the recent past.

From Los Angeles Times

"We thought it was a fait accompli. We assumed that was where the orcas were going, it looked like a done deal."

From BBC

But his promise to review consultant contracts that have been normally regarded as a fait accompli is a good start, some observers say.

From Salon

At the time, it felt like an Oscar nomination was a fait accompli, and it still does.

From Los Angeles Times