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 The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.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
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈkʌm.plɪʃ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /əˈkɑm.plɪʃ/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /əˈkɒm.plɪʃ/
- (General New Zealand, General Australian) IPA(key): /əˈkɐm.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)
- (transitive) To finish successfully.
- (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.
- (Can we date this quote by William H. Prescott?)
- He had accomplished half a league or more.
- 1611, King James Version, Daniel 9:2
- (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
- (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
- (Can we date this quote by John Wilkins?)
- It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it.
- (Can we date this quote by Charles Cowden Clarke?)
- These qualities . . . go to accomplish a perfect woman.
-
- (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
Related terms
Translations
to finish successfully
|
|
to complete, as time or distance
to bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform
|
(archaic) to equip or furnish thoroughly
- 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
Further reading
- accomplish at OneLook Dictionary Search
- accomplish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- accomplish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.