accomplish

verb

ac·​com·​plish ə-ˈkäm-plish  -ˈkəm- 

accomplished; accomplishing; accomplishes

transitive verb

1

: to bring about (a result) by effort

have much to accomplish today

2

: to bring to completion : fulfill

accomplish a job

3

: to succeed in reaching (a stage in a progression)

… would starve before accomplishing half the distance …

—W. H. Hudson †1922

4

archaic

a

: to equip thoroughly

b

: perfect

accomplishable

ə-ˈkäm-pli-shə-bəl 

-ˈkəm-

adjective

accomplisher noun

Synonyms of accomplish

• achieve
• fulfill
• perform
• execute
• do
• make
• implement

Choose the Right Synonym for accomplish

perform, execute, discharge, accomplish, achieve, effect, fulfill mean to carry out or into effect.

perform implies action that follows established patterns or procedures or fulfills agreed-upon requirements and often connotes special skill.

performed gymnastics

execute stresses the carrying out of what exists in plan or in intent.

executed the hit-and-run

discharge implies execution and completion of appointed duties or tasks.

discharged his duties

accomplish stresses the successful completion of a process rather than the means of carrying it out.

accomplished everything they set out to do

achieve adds to accomplish the implication of conquered difficulties.

achieve greatness

effect adds to achieve an emphasis on the inherent force in the agent capable of surmounting obstacles.

effected sweeping reforms

fulfill implies a complete realization of ends or possibilities.

fulfilled their ambitions

Examples of accomplish in a Sentence

There are several different ways to accomplish the same task.

Exactly what he thought he would accomplish is unclear.

Recent Examples on the Web

Los Angeles entered the postseason as two-time defending champions, and a third straight title would have put it in rare air — the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics the only other teams to have accomplished such a feat. — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Like Resident Evil, Whalefall gives its protagonist just an hour to accomplish his goal, which in this case means escaping the whale’s innards before his oxygen tank runs dry. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Regardless of any statistics, the defense has accomplished its end goal each and every week this season — and that’s allowing fewer points than the opposing team has scored every single time. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

What will make things more challenging is that the two lanes will change as needed to accomplish the repairs. — John Shumway, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acomplicen, accomplisshen, borrowed from Anglo-French acomplis-, stem of acomplir, acumplir, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + complir, cumplir "to complete, fulfill," going back (with conjugation change) to Latin complēre "to fill up, complete" — more at complete entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

accomplish

verb

ac·​com·​plish ə-ˈkäm-plish  -ˈkəm- 

: to bring to a successful finish : perform

accomplishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective