accomplish

verb

uh-KAHM-plish/əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/Sayuh-KUM-plishUK/əˈkʌm.plɪʃ/AUS/əˈkɐm.plɪʃ/

Formsaccomplishes, accomplishing, accomplished

6 meanings of accomplish

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To finish a task successfully and reach the goal you set.
Like crossing the finish line after a long race.
She finally accomplished her goal of learning to swim.
We can accomplish a lot if we work together.
Similarachieve, complete, fulfill, attain, reach
Oppositefail, miss
Note
2
verbtransitive
To carry something out fully until it is completely done.
Like following a recipe all the way to the finished dish.
The crew accomplished the repair before nightfall.
You can accomplish the whole job in one weekend.
Similarcomplete, execute, fulfill, achieve, finish
Note
3
verbtransitive
To finish a stretch of time or a distance you are traveling.
Like counting down the last miles of a long trip.
By dusk they had accomplished nearly twenty miles.
The sailors accomplish the crossing in under a week.
Similarcover, complete, travel, traverse
Note
4
verbPhilippinestransitive
To fill in all the needed information on a form.
Like filling in every blank on a worksheet.
Please accomplish this form before you see the doctor.
She accomplished the application in just a few minutes.
Similarcomplete
Note

Less common meanings

5
verbarchaictransitive
To give a person fine skills and polished manners.
Like polishing a rough stone until it shines.
A good tutor could accomplish a young man in music and languages.
Her governess accomplished the girls in dance and drawing.
Note
6
verbobsoletetransitive
To get or win something for yourself.
Like winning a prize you worked hard to get.
He hoped to accomplish a fortune through honest trade.
And more unlikely / Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns!
c. 1591, William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt,”Here, to accomplish means to get or win something for yourself.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It came into Middle English from Old French acomplir, which goes back to Latin complēre meaning 'fill up, complete'. It was first used in the late 14th century.