achieve

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈtʃiːv/ UK /əˈt͡ʃiːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #4149

Meanings

1

verb
To succeed in reaching a goal, usually through effort.

I achieved my goal despite many setbacks.
2

verb
To gain or win something as a result of hard work.

The film achieved great success at the box office.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to succeed in reaching a... accomplish attain reach fulfill

2 verb · to gain or win something as... obtain gain

More acquire catch complete conclude earn end finalize get land score

Opposites

lose miss

Word family

Forms achievedachievesachievingunachieved

Derived forms achievabilityachievableachievanceachievementachieveroutachieveoverachievereachievesuperachievingunderachieve

Etymology

From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“head”). Compare Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese and Spanish acabar, French achever.

*kap- Proto-Indo-European achieven Middle English achever Old French *accapō la-lat

View etymology graph ->

External links

# achieve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈtʃiːv/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈt͡ʃiːv/
**Frequency rank:** 4149

## Meanings
1. To succeed in reaching a goal, usually through effort.
2. To gain or win something as a result of hard work.

## Examples
- I achieved my goal despite many setbacks.
- The film achieved great success at the box office.

## Synonyms
- acquire
- catch
- complete
- conclude
- earn
- end
- finalize
- gain
- get
- land
- reach
- score

## Antonyms
- lose
- miss

## Derived Forms
- achievability
- achievable
- achievance
- achievement
- achiever
- outachieve
- overachieve
- reachieve
- superachieving
- underachieve

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: achieven
- Root: achever
- Root: *accapō

## Etymology
From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“head”). Compare Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese and Spanish acabar, French achever.

## AI Etymology
Achieve comes from Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) plus caput (“head”) plus -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“head”). Compare Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese and Spanish acabar, French achever. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *kap- and la-lat *accapō.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown

achieve

Meanings

Thesaurus

Common collocations

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback