v. Forms: 4–6 acheve; 4 achyve; 5 acheive, atcheve; (6 ascheve); 6–7 atchive; 6–9 atchieve; 5– achieve. [a. Fr. acheve-r, formed from phrase à chief (venir):—late L. ad caput venire to come to a head with, to bring to a head, to finish. An aphetic form, common in ME. but now obs., was CHIEVE. Northern writers had also ESCHEVE, with the prefix erroneously refashioned by form-assoc. with words in a- for original es-, as achape for eschape, escape.]
I. Of a process: To finish, complete.
1. trans. To bring to a successful issue, to carry out successfully (an enterprise); to accomplish, perform.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. Poems, A. 474. What more-hond moȝte he a-cheue.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 785. He that nought nassayeth, nought nacheveth.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 13 b. Myrro suffrid him tachieue alle his proposition.
1513. More, Edw. V., 3. Appointed to atchieve a more abominable enterprise.
1587. Holinshed, Chron., III. 808/1. Thus began the iusts, which was valiantlie atchiued by the king.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 336. The strange Feats they say Antichrist is then to atchieve.
1725. Pope, Odyss., I. 99. Let all combine to atchieve his wish’d return.
1815. Southey, Roderick, XIX. 96. Much might Count Julian’s sword atchieve for Spain.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xix. 188 (1876). He was achieving, amongst a very wretched population, a world of active good.
2. absol.
1607. Shaks., Coriol., IV. vii. 23. [He] does atcheeue as soone As draw his sword.
1713. Steele, Guardian, No. 13, ¶ 5. This youth has a mind prepared to atchieve for the salvation of souls.
† 3. trans. To bring to an end or termination; to finish, to terminate. Obs.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Leg. G. Wom., 2111. For tacheve myn batayle I wolde nevere from this place fle.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4630. How is this quarelle yit acheved Of Loves side? Ibid., 1068. And yvel achyved mote they be, These losenger ful of envye!
1534. Ld. Berners, Boke of M. Aurelius, B (1546). All these thynges tyme acheueth and burieth.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., IV. iii. 91. Bid them atchieue me, and then sell my bones.
† 4. intr. To come to a natural end or conclusion; to end, result, turn out. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 81. For it shall never well acheve, That stont nought right with the beleve.
a. 1440. Sir Degrevant, 464. He shalle love that swet wyȝt, Acheve how hit wold.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. ccclxxvi. 626. Wherfore all your busynes shall acheue the better. Ibid. (1534), Boke of M. Aurelius, D d viii b (1546). Thei [gods] bee called immortall … and we be called mortal … thus acheuethe the persones: but the goddis neuer.
II. Of an end: To attain, gain.
5. trans. To succeed in gaining, to acquire by effort, to gain, win.
a. An abstract property or possession.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 10. All though thou mightest love acheve.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. cxxxvi. 164. He achyued suche grace among them there, that, etc.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., V. i. 378. Some are borne great, some atchieue greatnesse.
1674. Milton, P. L., XI. 792. Having spilt much blood … and achieved thereby Fame in the world.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Berkeley, I. vii. 151. Now is the time for you and me to try to achieve a truer independence.
1874. Black, Pr. Thule, 35. He had achieved a good reputation.
† b. A material acquisition. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 170. Whan that he wenith best acheve His gode world, it is most fro.
1555. Fardle of Facions, App. 315. What time then ye shall haue achieued the land of Chanaan.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. i. 61. He hath atchieu’d a Maid That paragons description.
1618. Bolton, Florus (1636), 325. Provinces are atchieved by the sword, but retayned by Iustice.
† 6. intr. To arrive or attain successfully (to a point or position). Obs.
1495. Caxton, Vitas Patrum (W. de Worde), I. xlvii. 84 b. That this begynnynge maye achyeue fro good to better.
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M., 17/1 (1596). By the means whereof, the archbishops of the Romish see haue atchiued to their great kingdome.
7. trans. To attain successfully, to reach (an end).
a. 1569. Kyngesmill, Man’s Estate, xi. (1580), 77. By these means, in some hath he atchived the ende of his message.
1684. R. Waller, Ess. Nat. Exper., 70. Whether she Atchieves her End by Contracting, or Rarefying the Fluid.
1794. Sullivan, View of Nat., I. 255. These able men strove to attain the same great end, and separately atchieved it.
1882. Daily News, 17 July, 4/6. Even though to achieve its [the policy’s] necessary ends, it should lead to invasion and war.
