accomplish

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for accomplish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)

Etymology

• First attested in the late 14th century.
• From Middle English acomplissen, borrowed from Old French acompliss-, present participle stem of acomplir (Modern French accomplir), from Latin ad + complere (“to fill up, to complete”).
• See also complete, finish.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General New Zealand, General Australian) IPA^(key): /əˈkʌm.plɪʃ/, /ə.ˈkɒm.plɪʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: a‧ccom‧plish

Verb

accomplish (third-person singular simple present accomplishes, present participle accomplishing, simple past and past participle accomplished)

1. (transitive) To finish successfully.
2. (transitive) To complete, as time or distance.
   • 1611, King James Version, Daniel 9:2

     That He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

   • He had accomplished half a league or more. (Can we date this quote by William H. Prescott?)
3. (transitive) To execute fully; to fulfill; to complete successfully.

   to accomplish a design, an object, a promise

   • 1611, King James Version, Luke 22:37

     This that is written must yet be accomplished in me

4. (transitive, archaic) To equip or furnish thoroughly; hence, to complete in acquirements; to render accomplished; to polish.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     The armorers accomplishing the knights

   • It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it. (Can we date this quote by John Wilkins?)
   • These qualities . . . go to accomplish a perfect woman. (Can we date this quote by Charles Cowden Clarke?)
5. (transitive, obsolete) To gain; to obtain.
   • c. 1591, Shakespeare, William, Henry VI, Part 3, act 3, scene 2, lines 151–152:

     And more unlikely / Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns!

Synonyms

• do, perform, fulfill, realize, effect, effectuate, complete, consummate, execute, achieve, perfect, equip, furnish, carry out

Related terms

• accomplishment
• complete
• comply

Translations

to finish successfully

• Belarusian: дасяга́ць impf (dasjahácʹ), дасягну́ць pf (dasjahnúcʹ)
• Bulgarian: осъществявам (bg) (osǎštestvjavam)
• Danish: fuldende
• Dutch: volbrengen (nl)
• Finnish: suorittaa (fi), toteuttaa (fi), saada tehdyksi, saattaa päätökseen, saada aikaan
• German: vollenden (de) vollziehen (de), ausführen (de)
• Greek: επιτυγχάνω (el) (epityncháno)

  Ancient Greek: διαπράσσω (diaprássō)

• Italian: compiere (it), realizzare (it)

• Maori: whakatutuki
• Old English: fremman (ang)
• Old Saxon: fremmian, frummian, gifrummian
• Polish: dokonywać (pl), dokonać (pl)
• Portuguese: conseguir (pt) (with verb)
• Russian: ^{(please verify)} соверша́ть (ru) impf (soveršátʹ), ^{(please verify)} соверши́ть (ru) impf (soveršítʹ), ^{(please verify)} выполня́ть (ru) impf (vypolnjátʹ), ^{(please verify)} вы́полнить (ru) pf (výpolnitʹ), ^{(please verify)} достига́ть (ru) impf (dostigátʹ), ^{(please verify)} дости́гнуть (ru) pf (dostígnutʹ), ^{(please verify)} дости́чь (ru) impf (dostíčʹ), ^{(please verify)} заверша́ть (ru) impf (zaveršátʹ), ^{(please verify)} заверши́ть (ru) pf (zaveršítʹ), ^{(please verify)} доводи́ть до конца́ impf (dovodítʹ do koncá) , ^{(please verify)} довести́ до конца́ pf (dovestí do koncá)
• Spanish: efectuar (es), realizar (es), lograr (es)
• Swedish: fullborda (sv)

to complete, as time or distance

• Bulgarian: завършвам (bg) (zavǎršvam)
• Danish: fuldende
• Finnish: suorittaa (fi), saavuttaa (fi)

• German: vollenden (de)
• Russian: заверша́ть (ru) impf (zaveršátʹ), заверши́ть (ru) pf (zaveršítʹ)
• Spanish: completar (es)

to bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform

• Bulgarian: извършвам (bg) (izvǎršvam), осъществявам (bg) (osǎštestvjavam)
• Danish: fuldende
• Dutch: volbrengen (nl)
• Finnish: suorittaa (fi), saavuttaa (fi)
• German: vollenden (de)

• Maori: whakatutuki
• Ngazidja Comorian: utekeleza
• Portuguese: concretizar (pt)
• Russian: осуществля́ть (ru) impf (osuščestvljátʹ), осуществи́ть (ru) pf (osuščestvítʹ)
• Swedish: åstadkomma (sv), uträtta (sv)

to equip or furnish thoroughly

• Danish: fuldende
• Finnish: varustaa (fi)

• German: vollenden (de)

(obsolete) to gain; to obtain

• Finnish: hankkia (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} accomplir (fr)
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} menyelesaikan (id)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} complir (ia), ^{(please verify)} realisar

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} compire
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 完成させる (ja) (かんせいさせる, kansei-saseru) , ^{(please verify)} 成し遂げる (ja) (なしとげる, nashitogeru), ^{(please verify)} 完了させる (ja) (かんりょうさせる, kanryō-saseru)

Further reading

• accomplish at OneLook Dictionary Search
• accomplish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• accomplish in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911