fait accompli
noun
, ˈfe-, ˈfe-ˌta-, -ˌkōⁿ(m)-, British usually -ˈkäm-(ˌ)plē
\
, ˈfe- , ˈfe-ˌta- , -ˌkōⁿ(m)- , British usually -ˈkäm-(ˌ)plē(z) \
Definition of fait accompli
Examples of fait accompli in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Legislators believed a raise was a fait accompli, but appointees of Gov. Andrew Cuomo adjourned the commission without acting. — Jimmy Vielkind, WSJ, "Commission Mulls Raises for Cuomo and New York Lawmakers," 20 Nov. 2018 Many nations still felt that Mr. Kim, who was born in South Korea but raised in the U.S., was presented as an American fait accompli, not the result of an open process. — Josh Zumbrun, WSJ, "The U.S. Has Always Chosen World Bank Presidents—Will It This Time?," 8 Jan. 2019 Uber presented the sale of its operations to Grab, its chief rival in the region, as a fait accompli. — New York Times, "Uber’s Exit From Southeast Asia Upsets Regulators and Drivers," 28 May 2018 Presidential summits are always preprogrammed, down to the devilish details and await only the signature on a fait accompli. — I. William Zartman, WSJ, "Kim Jong Un and the Art of the Asian Deal," 24 June 2018 Infinity War,’’ made the record-setting weekend something of a fait accompli. — Jake Coyle, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Infinity War’ opens with record $250m, passing ‘Star Wars’," 29 Apr. 2018 Unlike in October, Trump’s Cabinet put up little resistance to a decision many viewed as a fait accompli, given the president’s March firing of two key Iran deal defenders. ... — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Primary results confirm 2018 is a terrible year to be a House Republican," 9 May 2018 The Space Force is, of course, not a fait accompli. — Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, "The New Arms Race Threatening to Explode in Space," 26 June 2018 Everything from that point forward felt like a fait accompli. — Gideon Lewis-kraus, WIRED, "The Blockchain: A Love Story—And a Horror Story," 18 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fait accompli.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about fait accompli
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'French, Prejudice, and Dance Steps':...
'French, Prejudice, and Dance Steps': 12 French Phrases from Downton Abbey
Noblesse oblige?
Dictionary Entries near fait accompli
Statistics for fait accompli
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for fait accompli
The first known use of fait accompli was in 1845
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for fait accompli
fait accompli
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fait accompli
See the full definition for fait accompli in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Comments on fait accompli
What made you want to look up fait accompli? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
-
- Which came first?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
-
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
Which word entered the English language first?
Take the quiz -
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Play the game
Share fait accompli
Resources for fait accompli