Meaning & use

fait accompli

noun·Advanced

A thing that has already been done or decided, leaving those affected with no real power to change it.

See it in a sentence

By the time the board met, the merger was a fait accompli.

Presenting the move as a fait accompli, she had already signed the lease before telling her roommates.

A note on using this word

Fait accompli is a French loanword, pronounced roughly 'fay-tuh-kom-plee,' used in formal or written English.

Words with a similar meaning

done deal

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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