achieve

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accappāre, present active infinitive of *accappō, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“head”). Compare Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese and Spanish acabar, French achever.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /əˈt͡ʃiːv/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːv

Verb[edit]

achieve (third-person singular simple present achieves, present participle achieving, simple past and past participle achieved)

  1. (intransitive) To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance. [from 14th c.]
  2. (transitive) To carry out successfully; to accomplish. [from 14th c.]
    You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
    Hannah achieved her lifelong dream of winning a medal at the Olympics.
    • 1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC:
      Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it.
  3. (obsolete, transitive) To conclude, finish, especially successfully. [14th–18th c.]
  4. (transitive) To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win. [from 14th c.]
  5. (obsolete, intransitive) To conclude, to turn out. [14th–16th c.]
  6. (transitive, now literary) To obtain (a material thing). [from 15th c.]
    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
      He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description.
    • 1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Flavius Domitian”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book VI ([The Romans] […]), paragraph 8, page 214, column 1:
      [U]s hitherto this Corner and ſecret receſſe hath defended, novv the Vttermoſt point of our Land is laid open: and things the leſſe they haue beene vvithin knovvledge, the greater the glorie is to atchieue them.
    • 1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700
    Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

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