achievement

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The act of achieving or performing; a successful performance; accomplishment.

   The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.

2. 2
   noun

   A great or heroic deed or feat; something accomplished by valor or boldness.

   [The exploits] of the ancient saints ; they do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes.

3. 3
   noun

   An escutcheon or ensign armorial; a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled; (now especially) a funeral shield: the hatchment.

   The narrow Gothic windows were filled, not with glass that admitted the light, but with glass painted with the achievements of the family […].

4. 4
   noun

   An award for completing a particular task or meeting an objective in a video game.

   Finishing the game does not give you a 100% score until you have unlocked all of the achievements.

5. 5
   noun

   The lexical aspect (aktionsart) of verbs or predicates that change in an instant.

   […]distinctions among states of affairs are reflected to a striking degree in distinctions among Aktionsart types. That is, situations are expressed by state verbs or predicates, events by achievement verbs or predicates, and actions by activity verbs or predicates.

6. 6
   noun

   the action of accomplishing something

7. 7
   noun

   The successful completion of a socially defined goal or task, highlighting individual or group accomplishment.

Etymology

From Middle French achevement (compare Modern French achèvement), from Old French achevement, from the verb achever, achiever (“to finish”); equivalent to achieve + -ment. The heraldic sense may be influenced by hatchment.