achieve
/əˈt͡ʃiv/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.57 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To gain or obtain (a desired objective, result, etc.) through effort or skill; to succeed in attaining (an objective, result, etc.); to win.
Transitive verb
verb
To end or finish (something); to terminate; (specifically, military) to win (a battle or war).
Obsolete; Transitive verb
verb
To attain a goal; to succeed in something, now especially in academic performance; (generally) to make an effort; strive.
Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "to achieve one’s goals"
- "Hannah achieved her lifelong dream of winning a medal at the Olympics."
- "You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it."
- "[T]here could not be a more cruell Tyrant appointed to atchieve a more abominable enterpriſe."
- "[W]hat to the leaving in a manner no Empire at all but vvhat is Sacerdotal, raiſing it above all Kings, Emperours and Chriſtian Princes vvhatſoever? and this atchieved by ſuch perſons as vvere the moſt vvicked of any that bore the name of Sovereign Holineſs?"
- "For this, the god conſtrains the Greek to roam, / A hopeleſs exile from his native home, / From death alone exempt—but ceaſe to mourn; / Let all combine t’atchieve his vviſh’d return: […]"
Etymology
From Middle English achieven, acheven (“to accomplish (something); to acquire or obtain (something); to carry out or finish (something); to succeed in (something); to happen, turn out”), from Anglo-Norman achever, achiever, Middle French achever, achiever, and Old French achever, achiever (“to accomplish (something); to finish (something); to succeed in (something)”) (modern French achever), and then from either of the following: * Old French a- (prefix denoting addition or increase, or a change of state) + chief (“end; head”) (compare traire a chief (“to be finished”), venir a chief (“to accomplish (something)”); and Late Latin ad caput venire (“to complete (something)”)) + -er (a variant of -ier (suffix forming verbs). Chief is derived from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *káput (“head”), possibly from *kap- (“head”). * Late Latin *accapāre, the present active infinitive of *accapō (“to finish”), from Latin ad- (prefix meaning ‘to’) + *capum (from caput (“head”); see further above) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). cognates * Catalan acabar * Late Latin achevare, acheviare (“to acknowledge feudal liability; to complete, end”) * Old Occitan acabar (modern Occitan acabar) * Portuguese acabar * Spanish acabar
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈt͡ʃiv/
- British English: /əˈt͡ʃiːv/
Usage
Inflected Forms
achieves (present, singular)
achieving (participle, present)
achieved (participle, past)
achieved (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
achieved (first person, past)
achievest (archaic, present)
achieved (past, second person)
achievedst (archaic, past)
achieveth (archaic, present)
achieved (past, singular)
Derived Forms
Frequently Paired Words
cheve
escheve