accomplishment

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   Something that has been achieved successfully through effort, skill, or persistence.

   Grammar: Has the plural accomplishments; often listed after achievements.

   Patterns

   • a major accomplishment
   • list your accomplishments
   • a sense of accomplishment

   Graduating was a major accomplishment for her.

   Please list your accomplishments on the form.

   Finishing the marathon gave him a real sense of accomplishment.

2. 2nounusually singularformal

   The act or process of completing or carrying out something difficult.

   Grammar: Common in the accomplishment of something; more formal and less frequent than the countable achievement sense.

   Patterns

   • the accomplishment of a task
   • the accomplishment of a goal

   The accomplishment of the plan took three years.

   We celebrated the accomplishment of the final stage.

3. 3nounpluralold-fashioned

   A social or artistic skill, such as music, drawing, or polite conversation, especially in older use.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this sense: her accomplishments included music and languages.

   Patterns

   • accomplishments such as music
   • a woman of accomplishments

   In the novel, her accomplishments included singing and French.

   The advertisement asked for a governess with several accomplishments.

Word forms

Common combinations

a major accomplishment

Raising the money in a week was a major accomplishment.

sense of accomplishment

She felt a strong sense of accomplishment after the repair worked.

professional accomplishments

The interview focused on his professional accomplishments.

Synonyms and how they differ

achievement

Achievement is the closest everyday equivalent; accomplishment often emphasizes the effort behind the result.

attainment

Attainment is formal and often used for educational or measured levels of success.

feat

Feat stresses an impressive or difficult act, often one single action.

success

Success can mean a good result generally; accomplishment is a particular completed success.

Opposites

Word family

accomplish verb

To complete or achieve successfully.

accomplished adjective

Highly skilled or successfully completed.

Commonly confused: accomplishment or accompaniment?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “accomplishment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words