WORD OF THE DAY
A fait accompli is something that's already done. If your dad warns you not to play an April Fool's Day trick on your sister, but you've already put a giant inflatable Godzilla in the shower, that's a fait accompli.
The noun fait accompli, pronounced "fate uh-COM-plee," describes something that has already happened. It often refers to a change or decision made by some authority on behalf of the people who will actually be affected. If workers continue to strike after a change in their working conditions has taken effect, they're protesting a fait accompli. The phrase fait accompli is French, and it literally means "an accomplished fact."
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Vocabulary lists containing fait accompli
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Bonjour, vocabulary connoisseurs! Did you know that almost 30% of words in the English language come from French? Brush up on these common English words derived from French and show everyone that your vocabulary is the crème de la crème. Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8, List 9, List 10, List 11, Terms
