What does accomplishing mean?
Accomplishing is the present participle and gerund of the verb accomplish, meaning to complete or achieve something successfully. It describes the active process of bringing a task, duty, or ambition to fruition, whether that means finishing a project at work, attaining a personal goal, or carrying out a responsibility. The word carries a strongly positive connotation, implying not merely that something was done but that it was done well and brought to a satisfying conclusion. In everyday English it appears both as a gerund functioning as a noun — as in 'Accomplishing this goal will require patience' — and as a participle in progressive verb forms such as 'she is accomplishing remarkable things.' Its synonyms include achieving, completing, fulfilling, and realizing. Rooted in the Latin complere, meaning to fill up or complete, the word shares deep origins with terms like complete and complement, making it a useful anchor for understanding a whole family of completion-related vocabulary.
Used in progressive constructions to indicate the ongoing action of completing or achieving something.
"They are accomplishing more this quarter than they did all last year."
Appears in continuous tenses such as 'is accomplishing,' 'was accomplishing.'
The act or process of completing or achieving something successfully.
"Accomplishing the migration took nearly six months of careful planning."
As a gerund it can head phrases such as 'the difficulty of accomplishing X.'
The word 'accomplishing' traces back to Latin 'complere' — to fill up — so every time you finish a task, you are literally filling it to completion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accomplishing
Accomplishing derives from the verb accomplish, which entered English from Old French acompliss- (stem of acomplir), itself drawn from late Latin accomplere, a variant of complere, meaning 'to fill up' or 'to complete.' The root thus connects it etymologically to words such as complete, comply, and complement, all of which descend from the same Latin source. The verb became established in English by the late Middle Ages and has carried its sense of successful completion ever since.
Related word forms
How accomplishing is actually used
Typically used in neutral to formal registers, especially in professional, academic, and motivational contexts. It carries a positive connotation of success and completion. As a gerund it functions as a noun ('Accomplishing this will take time'); as a present participle it appears in progressive forms ('she is accomplishing a great deal').
Easily confused with accomplishing
An accomplice is a person who helps someone commit a crime, while accomplishing refers to successfully completing or achieving something.