fait accompli

noun

fait ac·​com·​pli ˈfā-tə-ˌkäm-ˈplē 

ˈfe-,

ˈfe-ˌta- 

-ˌkōⁿ(m)-,

 British usually  -ˈkäm-(ˌ)plē

plural faits accomplis ˈfā-tə-ˌkäm-ˈplē(z) 

ˈfe-,

ˈfe-ˌta-,

-ˌkōⁿ(m)-,

 British usually  -ˈkäm-(ˌ)plē(z)

: a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible

he charged that the members were presented with a fait accompli instead of being called to a meeting to discuss the policy change

—Daniel Thomases

Examples of fait accompli in a Sentence

By the time we learned about the decision, it was already a fait accompli.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Cardinal was fait accompli as the year wound down, and McNamara joined President-elect Kennedy's administration as secretary of defense. —Larry Printz, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2024

As opposed to solving the problem or mitigating carbon emissions, climate resilience or adaptation assumes climate breakdown is unavoidable, a fait accompli. —David Introcaso, STAT, 15 Aug. 2024

Under such a scenario, Russia would attempt to seize NATO territory and China would blockade Taiwan as a fait accompli to undermine alliance cohesion. —Lorenz Meier, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024

In a system predicated on maintaining the status quo, reelection was practically a fait accompli, so long as one did the bare minimum and avoided openly taking bribes. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, accomplished fact

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above