achieve

a‧chieve S2 W1 AC /əˈtʃiːv/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑achievement, ↑achiever, ↑underachiever ≠ OVERACHIEVER, ↑underachievement ≠ OVERACHIEVEMENT; verb: ↑achieve, ↑underachieve ≠ OVERACHIEVE; adjective: ↑achievable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: achever, from chief 'end, head']
1. [transitive] to successfully complete something or get a good result, especially by working hard:
Frances achieved very good exam results.
Wilson has achieved considerable success as an artist.
She eventually achieved her goal of becoming a professor.
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In everyday English, people usually say someone gets a result rather than achieves it:
▪ He got good grades in his final exams.
2. [intransitive] to be successful in a particular kind of job or activity:
We want all our students to achieve within their chosen profession.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

achieve

achieve AW [achieve achieves achieved achieving] [əˈtʃiːv] [əˈtʃiːv] verb
1. transitive ~ sth to succeed in reaching a particular goal, status or standard, especially by making an effort for a long time
Syn: attain
• He had finally achieved success.

• They could not achieve their target of less than 3% inflation.

2. transitive ~ sth to succeed in doing sth or causing sth to happen
Syn: accomplish
• I haven't achieved very much today.

• All you've achieved is to upset my parents.

3. intransitive to be successful
• Their background gives them little chance of achieving at school.
Derived Word: achievable
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French achever ‘come or bring to a head’, from a chief ‘to a head’.
Thesaurus:
achieve verb T
• She finally achieved success.
manage • • succeed • • reach • • accomplish • |BrE fulfil • |AmE fulfill • |informal pull sth off • |formal attain • • effect •
achieve/succeed in/reach/accomplish/fulfil/attain a/an goal/objective
achieve/succeed in/accomplish/fulfil/attain a/an aim
achieve/reach/fulfil/attain a target
achieve/accomplish/fulfil an ambition
Example Bank:
• By the end of the afternoon we had achieved very little.
• I achieved a longstanding ambition to fly solo.
• I knew that the demonstration would achieve nothing.
• Sooner or later our shared efforts will achieve results.
• The present law has failed to achieve its objectives.
• They haven't achieved much yet.
• how to achieve a balance between work and family life
• All you've achieved is to upset my parents.
• I haven't achieved very much today.

• These students need to achieve academically in order to enter the labour market.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

achieve / əˈtʃiːv / verb [ T ]

B1 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.

→ See also underachieve

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

achieve

[ətʃi͟ːv]

achieves, achieving, achieved
VERB
If you achieve a particular aim or effect, you succeed in doing it or causing it to happen, usually after a lot of effort.
[V n] There are many who will work hard to achieve these goals...
[V n] We have achieved what we set out to do.
Syn:
accomplish

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

achieve

achieve /əˈʧiːv/ verb achieves; achieved; achiev·ing
1 [+ obj] : to get or reach (something) by working hard
• This year, our company was able to achieve [=accomplish, attain] all of its production goals.
• He worked hard and achieved success. [=became successful]
• a diet that achieves dramatic results
• With much practice, she has achieved a high level of skill.
• They achieved high scores on their math tests.
2 [no obj] : to become successful : to reach a goal
• We give students the skills they need in order to achieve in college.
- achiev·able /əˈʧiːvəbəɫ/ adj [more ~; most ~]
• achievable goals