achieve

[ uh-cheev ]
See synonyms for: achieveachievedachievingachievable on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),a·chieved, a·chiev·ing.
  1. to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish: The police crackdown on speeders achieved its purpose.

  2. to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain: to achieve victory.

verb (used without object),a·chieved, a·chiev·ing.
  1. to bring about an intended result; accomplish some purpose or effect.

Origin of achieve

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English acheven, from Old French achever “to finish,” from phrase a chef “to (the) head,” i.e., “to conclusion”; see chief

synonym study For achieve

1. See do1.

Other words for achieve

Other words from achieve

  • a·chiev·a·ble, adjective
  • a·chiev·er, noun
  • out·a·chieve, verb (used with object), out·a·chieved, out·a·chiev·ing
  • pre·a·chieved, adjective
  • su·per·a·chiev·er, noun
  • un·a·chiev·a·ble, adjective
  • un·a·chieved, adjective
  • well-a·chieved, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use achieve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for achieve

achieve

/ (əˈtʃiːv) /


verb(tr)
  1. to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain

  2. to gain as by hard work or effort: to achieve success

Origin of achieve

1
C14: from Old French achever to bring to an end, from the phrase a chef to a head, to a conclusion

Derived forms of achieve

  • achievable, adjective
  • achiever, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012