accomplish
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish.
to accomplish one's mission.
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to complete (a distance or period of time).
to have accomplished the age of 70;
We accomplished the journey in little more than an hour.
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Archaic. to provide polish to; perfect.
verb
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to manage to do; achieve
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to conclude successfully; complete
Usage
What does accomplish mean? Accomplish means to carry out or finish an action—to complete what you set out to do. To accomplish a goal is to complete it.Accomplish is often (though not always) used in the context of completing a set goal—one that is planned or desired before it is accomplished. Accomplish is generally used in a positive way in the context of completing beneficial goals (though a person can accomplish bad things—many supervillains hope to accomplish a global takeover).The completion of a goal or anything accomplished can be called an accomplishment, which means about the same thing as achievement.Someone who has accomplished many impressive things in life or in their career can be described with the adjective accomplished. It’s especially used to indicate that a person is very experienced, skilled, and perhaps awarded in their field, as in an accomplished singer.Much less commonly, accomplish can mean to reach a destination or certain age, as in I never thought I would accomplish the age of 100.Example: I’m hoping to accomplish everything on my to-do list today.
Related Words
See do 1.
Other Word Forms
- accomplishable adjective
- accomplisher noun
- preaccomplish verb (used with object)
- unaccomplishable adjective
Etymology
Origin of accomplish
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French accompliss-, stem of acomplir, equivalent to a- ac- + complir, ultimately from Latin complēre “to fill”; complete, -ish 2
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.
Rob Reiner was one of the most accomplished film directors of his generation, with credits including “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride” and “This Is Spinal Tap.”
“What we accomplished was not insignificant,” he added in his farewell address.
From Los Angeles Times
He’s 54 and concedes his body can’t always accomplish what his mind thinks it can.
From Los Angeles Times
But critics say the boutique waste hauler is not accomplishing anything environmentally useful and is selling the public a myth: that these plastics — multilayer plastic film, plastic bags, polystyrene — can be taken care of responsibly.
From Los Angeles Times
Maybe he wasn’t sure himself what he was up to or, when he was done, what he had accomplished.
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.
