Achieve Definition & Meaning

American

British

Related Words

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms achieve American [uh-cheev] / əˈtʃiv /

verb (used with object)

achieved, achieving

1. to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish.

   The police crackdown on speeders achieved its purpose.

   Synonyms: reach, realize, execute, effect, complete, consummate

2. to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain.

   to achieve victory.

   Synonyms: win, realize

verb (used without object)

achieved, achieving

1. to bring about an intended result; accomplish some purpose or effect.

achieve British / əˈtʃiːv /

verb

1. to bring to a successful conclusion; accomplish; attain

2. to gain as by hard work or effort

   to achieve success

"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

Related Words

See do 1.

Other Word Forms

• achievable adjective
• achiever noun
• outachieve verb (used with object)
• preachieved adjective
• superachiever noun
• unachievable adjective
• unachieved adjective
• well-achieved adjective

Etymology

Origin of achieve

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”; chief

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.

She reminisces on a childhood growing up in a repressive household during the 1960s, when second-wave feminism and the women’s liberation movement were just starting to achieve legitimacy.

From Salon

The experiments showed that this additive manufacturing strategy can preserve the hardness and mechanical strength typically achieved through conventional manufacturing methods.

From Science Daily

It's a rare feat that only five - including Walt Disney - have achieved in the Oscars' nearly 100-year history.

From BBC

The builder’s new orders increased 1% from the year prior “despite persistent headwinds, including elevated mortgage rates, cautious consumer sentiment, and geopolitical uncertainty,” he noted, adding that Lennar achieved that by keeping incentives elevated.

From Barron's

It helped Kiss All The Time... achieve the biggest opening week of the year, said the Official Charts Company.

From BBC

Related Words

• accomplish
• attain
• bring about
• carry out
• complete
• conclude
• do
• earn
• enact
• end
• gain
• manage
• obtain
• produce
• reach
• realize
• resolve
• settle
• sign
• solve

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.