Meaning & use
fait accompli
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingular
Something that has already happened or been settled, so that opposing it is pointless.
Grammar: Usually with a: it was a fait accompli. Plural is rare.
Patterns
- present someone with a fait accompli
- a fait accompli
By the time the staff heard about the merger, it was a fait accompli.
The council presented residents with a fait accompli by starting the work before the meeting.
The result was a fait accompli once the contracts were signed.
Word forms
| plural | faits accomplis |
|---|
Common combinations
- present someone with a fait accompli
- The manager presented the team with a fait accompli.
- a fait accompli
- The deal was already a fait accompli.
- become a fait accompli
- The plan became a fait accompli overnight.
- accept a fait accompli
- They had to accept the fait accompli.
Synonyms and how they differ
- done deal
- More informal, and usually about agreements.
- settled matter
- Neutral wording that lacks the idea of being forced on others.
Commonly confused: fait accompli or fait accompli vs. foregone conclusion?
fait accompli vs fait accompli vs. foregone conclusion
A foregone conclusion is a result everyone expects, while a fait accompli has already been carried out.
Practice
The company moved its offices without consulting staff, who simply had to accept it as a ___.
Choose one answer.
A fait accompli is something already done that others cannot change. Last resort and wild card do not fit this idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fait accompli”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.