achievement

noun

achieve·​ment ə-ˈchēv-mənt 

1

: the act of achieving something

the achievement of an ambition

2

a

: a result gained by effort : accomplishment

being honored for her academic achievements

a major scientific achievement

b

: a great or heroic deed

3

: the quality and quantity of a student's work

standardized tests to measure achievement

Synonyms

• accomplishment
• acquirement
• attainment
• baby
• coup
• success
• triumph

Choose the Right Synonym for achievement

feat, exploit, achievement mean a remarkable deed.

feat implies strength or dexterity or daring.

an acrobatic feat

exploit suggests an adventurous or heroic act.

his exploits as a spy

achievement implies hard-won success in the face of difficulty or opposition.

her achievements as a chemist

Examples of achievement in a Sentence

The discovery of DNA was a major scientific achievement.

It was a great achievement.

Getting the project done on time was a real achievement.

Recent Examples on the Web

Matt Bomer may have a Golden Globe but his most important achievement is being the father of his three kids: Kit, Walker and Henry. —Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

Laurel became one of the first female submarine medical officers and aced numerous achievements before becoming an astronaut. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

Subscribe now No-hitters in Orange County softball are somewhat rare but the special achievement recently became frequent at Cypress. —Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 10 Apr. 2024

Those achievements will be celebrated on Saturday, April 20, at the Detroit Historical Museum's annual City of Champions Day commemoration. —Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024

The Braves, Aaron’s team for much of his career, also celebrated his achievement before their Monday home game against the New York Mets in Atlanta. —John Yoon, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

And one of his proudest legislative achievements was working with Kennedy to deregulate the airline industry. —Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

She’s covered Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA Championships and countless high school and local sports achievements. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024

Potential nominees include students with achievements in band, orchestra, theater, choir, art, culinary arts, sewing skills or other similar vocational-school mediums where students can shine through the arts. —Melanie Laughman, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French achevement, from achever "to achieve" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing achievement

• sense of achievement

Kids Definition

achievement

noun

achieve·​ment ə-ˈchēv-mənt 

1

: the act of achieving

2

: something achieved