Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Achieve
A-chieve′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Achieved
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Achieving
.] [OE.
acheven
, OF. achever
, achiever
, F. achever
, to finish; à
(L. ad
) + OF. chief
, F. chef
, end, head, fr. L. caput
head. See Chief
.] 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
Thou hast
achieved
our liberty. Milton.
[[Obs]., with a material thing as the aim.]
Show all the spoils by valiant kings
achieved
. Prior.
He hath
That paragons description.
achieved
a maidThat paragons description.
Shakespeare
3.
To finish; to kill.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Syn. – To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See
Accomplish
. Webster 1828 Edition
Achieve
ACHIE'VE
, v.t.1.
To perform, or execute; to accomplish; to finish, or carry on to a final close. It is appropriately used for the effect of efforts made by the hand or bodily exertion, as deeds achieved by valor.2.
To gain or obtain, as the result of exertion.Show all the spoils by valiant Kings achieved.
Definition 2024
achieve
achieve
English
Alternative forms
- atchieve (obsolete)
Verb
achieve (third-person singular simple present achieves, present participle achieving, simple past and past participle achieved)
- (intransitive) To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance. [from 14th c.]
- (transitive) To carry out successfully; to accomplish. [from 14th c.]
- I. Taylor
- 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
- (obsolete, transitive) To conclude, finish, especially successfully. [14th-18th c.]
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.1:
- Full many Countreyes they did overronne, / From the uprising to the setting Sunne, / And many hard adventures did atchieve [...].
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.1:
- (transitive) To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win. [from 14th c.]
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
- I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
- 2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC:
- Bradford may have lost on the night but they stubbornly protected a 3-1 first-leg advantage to emulate a feat last achieved by Rochdale in 1962.
- William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, II-v
- Some are born great, some achieve greatness.
- John Milton
- Thou hast achieved our liberty.
-
- (obsolete, intransitive) To conclude, to turn out. [14th-16th c.]
- (transitive, now literary) To obtain (a material thing). [from 15th c.]
- Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved.
- William Shakespeare, Othello, II-i
- He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description.
Synonyms
- accomplish, effect, fulfil, fulfill, complete, execute, perform, realize, obtain. See accomplish
Derived terms
Translations
to carry out successfully; to accomplish
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to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
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