accomplish

verb

ac·​com·​plish ə-ˈkäm-plish How to pronounce accomplish (audio) -ˈkəm- How to pronounce accomplish (audio)
accomplished; accomplishing; accomplishes

transitive verb

1
: to bring about (a result) by effort
have much to accomplish today
2
: to bring to completion : fulfill
accomplish a job
3
: to succeed in reaching (a stage in a progression)
would starve before accomplishing half the distanceW. H. Hudson †1922
4
archaic
a
: to equip thoroughly
b
accomplishable adjective
accomplisher noun
Choose the Right Synonym for accomplish

perform, execute, discharge, accomplish, achieve, effect, fulfill mean to carry out or into effect.

perform implies action that follows established patterns or procedures or fulfills agreed-upon requirements and often connotes special skill.

performed gymnastics

execute stresses the carrying out of what exists in plan or in intent.

executed the hit-and-run

discharge implies execution and completion of appointed duties or tasks.

discharged his duties

accomplish stresses the successful completion of a process rather than the means of carrying it out.

accomplished everything they set out to do

achieve adds to accomplish the implication of conquered difficulties.

achieve greatness

effect adds to achieve an emphasis on the inherent force in the agent capable of surmounting obstacles.

effected sweeping reforms

fulfill implies a complete realization of ends or possibilities.

fulfilled their ambitions

Examples of accomplish in a Sentence

There are several different ways to accomplish the same task. Exactly what he thought he would accomplish is unclear.
Recent Examples on the Web But that level of efficiency is not easily accomplished in Kansas City’s older neighborhoods, where most people don’t have two-and three-stall garages. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 The keyboard, sold separately, attaches to the proprietary bottom-facing connector while charging is accomplished through the Surface Connect port. Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024 For one thing, as accomplished as Ohtani is at baseball, his career 684 hits pale in comparison with Rose’s 4,256, the most of any major league player. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Herrick says this criticism undermines the quality work the agency has accomplished in recent years. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2024 There is little doubt that regulators want to reign in Big Tech but whether that will be accomplished through unilateral bans is unclear. Olia Valigourskaia, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The achievement of running the perimeter of the U.S. has been accomplished once before in 1988 by Sarah Covington Fulcher. Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024 SpaceX has a lot more to accomplish with Starship before then, including more than one orbital flight, refueling in low-Earth orbit and an uncrewed test landing on the moon, writes Science’s Michael Greshko. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Justice of sorts was accomplished, with Jones ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accomplish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acomplicen, accomplisshen, borrowed from Anglo-French acomplis-, stem of acomplir, acumplir, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + complir, cumplir "to complete, fulfill," going back (with conjugation change) to Latin complēre "to fill up, complete" — more at complete entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accomplish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near accomplish

Cite this Entry

“Accomplish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accomplish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accomplish

verb
ac·​com·​plish ə-ˈkäm-plish How to pronounce accomplish (audio) -ˈkəm- How to pronounce accomplish (audio)
: to bring to a successful finish : perform
accomplishable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on accomplish

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