verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/əˈt͡ʃiːv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːv
CMU ARPABET:AH0 CH IY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To carry out successfully; to accomplish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
achieve goals
achieve objectives
You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
Hannah achieved her lifelong dream of winning a medal at the Olympics.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To conclude, finish, especially successfully.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To conclude, to turn out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To obtain (a material thing).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
to gain with effort
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
she achieved her goal despite setbacks
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: accomplish, attain, reach
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: succeed, win, come through, bring home the bacon, deliver the goods
Narrower terms: score, reach, make, get to, progress to, begin, come to, strike, culminate, compass, average, wangle, finagle, manage
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
حَقَّقَ
(ḥaqqaqa)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Arabic:
حَقَّق
(ḥaggag)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Bulgarian:
осъществявам
(osǎštestvjavam)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Bulgarian:
реализирам
(realiziram)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Catalan:
acomplir
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Chinese Mandarin:
實現 /实现
(shíxiàn)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Dutch:
bereiken
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Dutch:
realiseren
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Esperanto:
atingi
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Finnish:
saada aikaan
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Finnish:
toteuttaa
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
French:
accomplir
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
French:
réaliser
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Galician:
conseguir
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Galician:
acadar
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
German:
erreichen
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
German:
realisieren
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
German:
schaffen
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Gothic:
𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽
(fairrinnan)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Greek:
κατορθώνω
(katorthóno)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Ancient Greek:
ἐπιτυγχάνω
(epitunkhánō)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Interlingua:
compler
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Irish:
bain amach
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Irish:
cuir i gcrích
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Italian:
realizzare
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Italian:
portare
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Italian:
raggiungere
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Japanese:
達成する
(tassei suru)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Japanese:
実現する
(jitsugen suru)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Korean:
이루다
(iruda)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Korean:
성취하다
(seongchwihada)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Korean:
달성하다
(dalseonghada)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Latin:
pervenio
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Māori:
whakatutuki
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Polish:
osiągać
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Polish:
osiągnąć
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Polish:
zrealizować
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Portuguese:
conseguir
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Russian:
выполня́ть
(vypolnjátʹ)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Russian:
вы́полнить
(výpolnitʹ)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Russian:
реализова́ть
(realizovátʹ)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Russian:
осуществля́ть
(osuščestvljátʹ)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Russian:
осуществи́ть
(osuščestvítʹ)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Serbo-Croatian:
ostvariti
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Serbo-Croatian:
оства́рити
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Spanish:
conseguir
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Spanish:
lograr
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Spanish:
realizar
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Swedish:
åstadkomma
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Swedish:
uppnå
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Tocharian B:
yäm-
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Ukrainian:
успі́шно вико́нувати
(uspíšno vykónuvaty)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Yiddish:
אויפֿטאָן
(oyfton)
— to carry out successfully; to accomplish
Armenian:
նվաճել
(nvačel)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Azerbaijani:
nail olmaq
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Belarusian:
дасяга́ць
(dasjahácʹ)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Belarusian:
дасягну́ць
(dasjahnúcʹ)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Bulgarian:
постигам
(postigam)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Bulgarian:
достигам
(dostigam)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Catalan:
obtenir
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Catalan:
aconseguir
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Chinese Mandarin:
達到 /达到
(dádào)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Czech:
dosahovat
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Czech:
dosáhnout
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Dutch:
bereiken
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Dutch:
realiseren
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Dutch:
verwerven
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Dutch:
winnen
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Dutch:
verkrijgen
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Finnish:
saavuttaa
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Finnish:
päästä tavoitteeseen/päämäärään
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
German:
erreichen
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
German:
erlangen
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌻𐍉𐌽
(gatilōn)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Italian:
ottenere
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Japanese:
達成する
(tassei suru)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Korean:
얻다
(eotda)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Korean:
획득하다
(hoekdeukhada)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Marathi:
मिळवणे
(miḷavṇe)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Polish:
osiągać
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Polish:
osiągnąć
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Portuguese:
conseguir
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Portuguese:
ganhar
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Russian:
добива́ться
(dobivátʹsja)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Russian:
доби́ться
(dobítʹsja)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Russian:
достига́ть
(dostigátʹ)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Russian:
дости́чь
(dostíčʹ)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Russian:
дости́гнуть
(dostígnutʹ)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀стићи
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Serbo-Croatian:
pòstići
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Spanish:
conseguir
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Spanish:
lograr
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Swedish:
uppnå
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Telugu:
సాధించు
(sādhiñcu)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Tocharian B:
kälp-
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Ukrainian:
досяга́ти
(dosjaháty)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Ukrainian:
досягти́
(dosjahtý)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Ukrainian:
добива́тися
(dobyvátysja)
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
Uzbek:
erishmoq
— to obtain, or gain as the result of exertion
