Achievement

How to spell achievement

11 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce achievement

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does achievement mean?

1. nounSomething accomplished successfully, especially through effort, skill, or courage.

Achievement in a sentence

• Finishing the marathon was her proudest achievement.

• The award recognised a lifetime achievement in medicine.

Where does achievement come from?

Language of origin: French

This word travelled into English from the Old French verb achever, which meant 'to bring to a head' or 'to finish', built from the phrase a chief, literally 'to a head' or 'to an end'. The chief part traces back to the Latin caput, meaning 'head', the same root that lurks inside 'chief', 'chef', and 'captain'. English adopted the verb 'achieve' in the 1300s with the sense of completing or accomplishing something, and the noun 'achievement' followed soon after to name the thing brought to completion. The spelling preserves the French 'ie' sequence, which is the very trap that catches writers: the word follows the familiar 'i before e' pattern after 'ach'. Knowing that the heart of the word is 'chief', from caput meaning head, helps anchor both the order of the vowels and the silent shape of the ending.

How the word is built

• a- (to, from Latin ad)
• chieve (from Old French chief: head, end)
• -ment (noun suffix denoting result or action)