Accomplished

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈkɑm.plɪʃt/

Definitions

1. Having a high level of skill or expertise in a particular area ; having successfully finished or attained a goal or task
2. Being very talented or capable in an activity or field ; brought to a conclusion or fulfilled successfully
3. Demonstrating notable competence or mastery ; having carried out or accomplished something as intended

Etymology: "Accomplished" is a past participle turned into an adjective, and its story is mostly a matter of how one verb's sense split in two. The verb "accomplish" came into English from Old French "acomplir", meaning to fulfil or complete, built on Latin roots that carried the idea of filling something up to its full extent. A person who had accomplished a task had brought it to completion, and that sense of finished achievement gave the adjective its second meaning. The first meaning, of a person who is highly skilled, grew out of that same idea of completeness. Someone who has been fully equipped in a craft or art is, in effect, a finished performer, and "accomplished" came to describe such people, especially in music, drawing and social graces, where a polished, rounded ability was prized. The adjective is first recorded in the late 15th century, when it was simply the participle with the suffix "-ed" attached to the verb.

Synonyms: skilled, proficient, expert

Antonyms: incompetent, unskilled