achieve
verbUK /əˈt͡ʃiːv/
Etymology From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, 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.
1
To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.
2
To carry out successfully; to accomplish.
- achieve goals
- achieve objectives
3 more examples
- You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
- Hannah achieved her lifelong dream of winning a medal at the Olympics.
- 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.1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC:
3
Obsolete To conclude, finish, especially successfully.
- Full many Countreyes they did overronne, From the uprising to the setting Sunne, And many hard adventures did atchieve […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
4
To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
- I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
- Bradford may have lost on the night but they stubbornly protected a 3-1 first-leg advantage to emulate a feat last achieved by Rochdale in 1962.2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC:
2 more examples
- Some are born great, some achieve greatness.c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:
- Thou hast achieved our liberty.1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
5
Obsolete To conclude, to turn out.
6
Literary To obtain (a material thing).
- He hath achieved a maid That paragons description.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]:
- [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.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:
1 more example
- Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved.1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700:
- Synonyms
- accomplish, compass, fulfill, realize, walk away, conclude, end, finalize, complete, attain, obtain, get one's hands on, acquire, catch, earn, gain, get, land, reach, score, succeed, win
- Derived terms
- achievability, achievable, achievance, achievement, achiever, outachieve, overachieve, reachieve, superachieving, underachieve