Phrase guide

fait accompli

noun · 3 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.

  • /ˌfeɪt.əˈkɔm.pli/
  • /ˌfeɪt.əˌkɔmˈpli/
  • /fɛt-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something which has already happened, before those affected had the chance to raise objections or queries; especially, such a thing that cannot be undone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Thanks to a bureaucratic fait accompli, the demolition was already approved and has already started.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An action or establishment that cannot be undone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: done deal, water under the bridge
  • The introduction of white clover to the Americas is a fait accompli.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: done deal, water under the bridge

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an irreversible accomplishment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accomplished fact

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: accomplishment, achievement

History

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French fait accompli.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَمْر وَاقِع (ʔamr wāqiʕ) — an accomplished fact
  • Azerbaijani: baş tutmuş fakt — an accomplished fact
  • Bulgarian: свършен факт (svǎršen fakt) — an accomplished fact
  • Chinese Mandarin: 既成事實 /既成事实 (jìchéng shìshí) — an accomplished fact
  • Danish: fait accompli — an accomplished fact
  • Dutch: voldongen feit — an accomplished fact
  • Finnish: tapahtunut tosiasia — an accomplished fact
  • French: fait accompli — an accomplished fact
  • German: vollendete Tatsache — an accomplished fact
  • German: Fait accompli — an accomplished fact
  • Greek: τετελεσμένο γεγονός (tetelesméno gegonós) — an accomplished fact
  • Hebrew: עובדה מוגמרת (uvdá mugméret) — an accomplished fact
  • Hebrew: מעשה עשוי (ma'asé asúy) — an accomplished fact
  • Hungarian: kész helyzet — an accomplished fact
  • Icelandic: orðinn hlutur — an accomplished fact
  • Icelandic: búið og gert — an accomplished fact
  • Italian: fatto compiuto — an accomplished fact
  • Japanese: 既成事実 (kisei jijitsu) — an accomplished fact
  • Kyrgyz: болгон иш (bolgon iş) — an accomplished fact
  • Kyrgyz: факт (fakt) — an accomplished fact
  • Macedonian: свршен чин (svršen čin) — an accomplished fact
  • Persian: عمل انجامشده — an accomplished fact
  • Polish: fakt dokonany — an accomplished fact
  • Portuguese: fato consumado — an accomplished fact
  • Portuguese: fait accompli — an accomplished fact
  • Russian: сверши́вшийся факт (sveršívšijsja fakt) — an accomplished fact
  • Russian: постфа́ктум (postfáktum) — an accomplished fact
  • Spanish: hecho consumado — an accomplished fact
  • Swedish: fullbordat faktum — an accomplished fact
  • Thai: เรื่องที่ยุติแล้ว (rʉ̂ʉang-tîi-yút-dtì-lɛ́ɛo) — an accomplished fact
  • Turkish: emrivaki — an accomplished fact
  • Turkish: oldubitti — an accomplished fact
  • Turkish: olupbitti — an accomplished fact
  • Ukrainian: доко́наний факт (dokónanyj fakt) — an accomplished fact