LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“achieve” in Latin

The English word achieve itself goes back to Latin caput, through capus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

achieve
conficere (to bring to an end, so that the labor is over; to finish, without reference to the production of a perfect work: itinera, mandata connciuntur, non perficiuntur nec absolvuntur. D.): efficere, ad effectum adducere (to bring to actual edstence): perticere (to carry through to the end; to make anything perfect: opposed to inchoare, to begin): absolvere (to finish off, so that no more remains to be done; to make complete: opposed to inchoare, instituere). (The words are found in this connection and order.) absolvere ac (et) perficere: peragere (to carry a business through): exsequi, persequi (to follow up till it is done: especially of things done by rule or direction, officium, mandata): ad finem adducere (to bring anything to its intended end; to complete): patrare (of important actions publicly performed: an old and solemn word, that had probably a religious meaning at first: strengthened perpetrare): sometimes facere alone (opposed to cogitare). To be able to achieve anything, parem esse alicui rei exsequendae.
Obtain by exertion, adipisci, assequi (the former dwelling more on the objectachieved: the latter on the persevering exertions by which it was achieved). To achieve peace, pacem perpetrare (Liv.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for achieve?
The usual Latin words for “achieve” are cōnficiō, efficiō, absolvō; also peragō, exsequor, persequor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.