Achievements

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈt͡ʃiːvmənts/

Definitions

1. Successful results reached through dedication and capability
2. Recognized successes gained in diverse fields and pursuits
3. The notable successful outcomes obtained by effort and skill

Etymology: "Achievements" is simply the plural of "achievement," so the story belongs to the noun it pluralizes. The root is the Latin "ad" (to) combined with "caput" (head), which in the Vulgar Latin "accapāre" meant to bring something to a head, that is, to finish it. That verb passed into Old French as "achever," meaning to finish, and English took it from Middle French in the form "achevement," formed by adding the suffix "-ment" to make a noun for the act or result of finishing. The English word was built from that French noun, and the first thing it meant was the completing of a task, not a grand accomplishment. The sense of a notable success that we now hear in "achievements" developed later, so the modern meaning is an extension of finishing something well.

Synonyms: accomplishments, attainments, successes, milestones, victories

Antonyms: failures, setbacks, losses, defeats, underachievements