[a. Fr. accomplissement action of accomplishing. See ACCOMPLISH and -MENT.]
1. The action of accomplishing, or state of being accomplished; fulfilment, completion, consummation.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 8. He would not have it governyd … but by his own Will; by which and for th’accomplishment thereof he made it.
1561. T. N[orton], Calvin’s Inst. (1634), II. xvi. 244. We have in his death a full accomplishment of salvation.
1612. T. Taylor, Titus i. 9. (1619), 183. Such divine prophecies, and predictions, together with the exact accomplishments.
1779. Johnson, L. P., Granville, Wks. 1787, III. 217. He wrote the poem to the earl of Peterborough, upon his Accomplishment of the duke of York’s marriage with the princess of Modena.
1860. Froude, Hist. Eng., V. xxiv. 3. He saw England, as he believed, ripe for mighty changes easy of accomplishment.
2. The act of perfecting, or state of being perfected; perfection, completion.
1561. J. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apocal. (1573), 91 b. The Saints … are commaunded patiently to abyde, vntyll the accomplishement of their brethren.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 9. Mahomet … set out the felicitie of his heaven, by the contentments of flesh … slightly passing over the accomplishment of the soule.
1666. Fuller, Hist. Cambridge (1840), 158. Robert Wakefield … who, for his better accomplishment, travelled most parts of Christendom.
1710. Shaftesbury, Charact. (1737), II. II. § 2. 251. Is not this the sum of all?—the finishing stroke and very Accomplishment of Virtue?
3. Anything accomplished or performed; anything achieved by study or practice; a performance, achievement or attainment.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., Prol. 30. Turning th’ accomplishment of many yeares Into an Howre-glasse.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., III. 124. It has been held accomplishment enough to graduate a student, if he could but stiffly wrangle out a vexatious dispute.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, The Italian (1824), xxv. 665. A harmony, not the effect of torpid feelings, but the accomplishment of correct and vigilant judgement.
1881. A. Herschel, in Nature, No. 622. 508. I have here ventured to disown, and to disclaim for myself some of the major accomplishments of meteor-spectroscopy.
4. Anything that completes, finishes off, or completely equips. a. Formerly including bodily equipment, accoutrement; b. now, a faculty or quality that completes or perfects a person for society—that adds delicacy of taste and elegance of manners to accuracy of knowledge and correctness of thought. As such faculties, besides accomplishing or perfecting their possessor, are usually also accomplished or attained by study and practice, as in sense 3, the common modern use of the word combines the two senses in that of ‘an ornamental attainment or acquirement,’ i.e., some study accomplished which accomplishes the student. The word is also abused to mean ‘superficial acquirements,’ embellishments that pretend to perfect or complete an education which does not exist.
1605. Bacon, Advanc. Learn., II. 2. Conduits, Cesternes, and Pooles … men haue accustomed … to beautifie and adorne with accomplishments of Magnificence and State, as well as of vse and necessitie.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip. (1851), II. 50. The externall Accomplishments of kingly prosperity, the love of the people, their multitude, their valour, their wealth.
1672. Jordan, Lond. Triumph., in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 491. The company of Artillerymen … being in all their accomplishments of gallantry, some in Buff, with Head pieces, many of massy silver.
1774. Advt. to Chesterfield’s Letters, 8. Hence we find him induced to lay so great a stress on what are generally called Accomplishments, as most indispensably requisite to finish the amiable and brilliant part of a complete character.
a. 1830. Tennyson, Sonnets, viii. 4. To dance and sing, be gaily drest, And win all eyes with all accomplishment.
1853. De Quincey, Sp. Mil. Nun., § 5. 9. To fold and seal a letter adroitly is not the lowest of accomplishments.
