definition of the word achieve

Middle English acheven, from Old French achever (“‘achiever’”) (French achever (“‘to finish’”)). From Old French à, from Latin ad; + chief (French chef (“‘end, head’”)), from Latin caput (“‘head’”). See chief

• IPA: /əˈtʃi:v/, SAMPA: /@"tSi:v/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

to achieve (third-person singular simple present achieves, present participle achieving, simple past and past participle achieved)

1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; -- as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise.

   • Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. - I. Taylor

2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.

   • Some are born great, some achieve greatness - Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, II-v
   • Thou hast achieved our liberty. - Milton

3. (obsolete) To obtain with a material thing as the aim

   • Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved. - Prior
   • He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description. - Shakespeare, Othello, II-i

4. (obsolete) To finish; to kill. - Shakespeare

• To accomplish; effect; fulfil / fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See accomplish

• achievement
• achiever

Definition from Wiktionary Content avaible with GNU Free Documentation License

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