Meaning of achieve in English

achieve

verb [ T ]

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/əˈtʃiːv/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/əˈtʃiːv/

to succeed in finishing something or reaching an aim, especially after a lot of work or effort:

The government's training policy, he claimed, was achieving its objectives.

She finally achieved her ambition to visit South America.

I've been working all day, but I feel as if I've achieved nothing.

Synonyms

accomplish
attain formal
fulfil (MAKE HAPPEN) mainly UK
reach 
realize (ACHIEVE)

See also

underachieve

More examples

We've achieved some marvellous results with this new drug.
He has already achieved his main ambition in life - to become wealthy.
I've been working all day, but I feel as if I've achieved nothing.
She was so desperate for success that she'd do anything to achieve it.
We've set ourselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling

See more results »

(Definition of achieve from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

achieve | American Dictionary

achieve

verb [ T ]

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/əˈtʃiv/

to do or obtain something that you wanted after planning and working to make it happen:

She achieved her objective of qualifying for the US Olympic team.

I am hopeful that we can achieve peace eventually, but it is not going to be easy.

achievable

adjective [ not gradable ] us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/əˈtʃi·və·bəl/

Increasing sales by 5 percent is an achievable goal.

(Definition of achieve from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

achieve | Business English

achieve

verb [ T ]

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/əˈtʃiːv/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

to successfully finish or do something you wanted to do, especially after a lot of effort:

attempt/strive/seek to achieve sth Salespersons strived to achieve maximum sales.

achieve an objective/goal/target The division has achieved its objective of being a major force in home entertainment.

It is hard to see how these projects can achieve their potential .

achieve success/profitability/savings

(Definition of achieve from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of achieve

achieve

If there is a government policy that allows the decentralized economy to achieve the constrained planner's allocation, then it is the optimal policy choice.

From Cambridge English Corpus

However, close monitoring and a quick response seem to be the key factors in achieving success.

From Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

More examples Fewer examples

Moreover, common expressions are open to multiple philosophical interpretations precisely because common expressions lack the precision aimed for (though not always achieved) by philosophical discourse.

From Cambridge English Corpus

If hemodynamic stability can be achieved, sinus rhythm returns in the vast majority of patients spontaneously within a few days after surgery.

From Cambridge English Corpus

In the two different regions, however, there does appear to be a significant difference in the balance achieved between these two opposing pulls.

From Cambridge English Corpus

First, what sorts of representations are being aligned; and second, how is this alignment achieved?

From Cambridge English Corpus

No further gains were achieved in the last decade of the century, during which the third- and fourth-generation cultivars replaced the original introduced cultivars.

From Cambridge English Corpus

A number of control schemes for achieving this objective have been reported in the literature.

From Cambridge English Corpus

Indeed, patients were often reluctant to be prescribed a detoxification drug which had not led to them successfully achieving abstinence in the past.

From Cambridge English Corpus

One day before each new infestation the beans were carefully mixed to achieve a random distribution of host larvae.

From Cambridge English Corpus

This filter mechanism is achieved in our approach by defining the relevant concepts and roles needed to describe solutions to a configuration problem.

From Cambridge English Corpus

A good robotic design achieves high efficiency of this motion transformation.

From Cambridge English Corpus

For achieving this purpose, the commission stresses the importance of having reliable and comparable information on health interventions.

From Cambridge English Corpus

It became evident that interpretation and technique are integrated and interdependent; technical decisions being made in order to achieve the desired musical outcome.

From Cambridge English Corpus

Here, language standardization achieved great success in a less developed country with less advanced technical equipment in a fairly short period.

From Cambridge English Corpus