Fait Accompli
idiom / noun /ˌfeɪ t əˈkɒm.pli/ — A thing already done that cannot now be changed
Definition
A completed action or accomplished fact — something that has already been done before others could object or intervene, making opposition or reversal practically impossible.
Beyond the definition
Fait accompli is the strategy of the irreversible. By the time anyone can object, it is already too late. The word carries the slightly breathless aftermath of action that moved faster than objection could.
Origin & history
French: 'accomplished fact'. A diplomatic and military term for an action taken to create a new reality on the ground before it can be contested or reversed.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
By the time she announced it, it was already a fait accompli — the contracts were signed.
They presented the merger as a fait accompli, though the board hadn't been consulted.
The fait accompli is the oldest negotiating trick: make the reality, then negotiate within it.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Fait Accompli” when the meaning fits your context: A completed action or accomplished fact — something that has already been done before others could object or intervene, making opposition or reversal practically impossible.
Synonyms
accomplished fact, done deal, irreversible action
Antonyms
open question, reversible decision, pending
Related words
Fait Accompli vs done deal
A 'done deal' is colloquial and simple. 'Fait accompli' is used to emphasize that an action is finished and irreversible, rendering further debate pointless.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Layers of Ancient and Modern Time
An adult looks over a landscape showing crumbling ruins in the foreground and a modern city in the distance.
The ancient ruins represent an outcome already established by history. A fait accompli is this sense of a completed fact that stands before others can object or intervene, making the status of the current reality practically impossible to reverse.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Fait Accompli" mean?
Fait Accompli is idiom / noun meaning: A thing already done that cannot now be changed. A completed action or accomplished fact — something that has already been done before others could object or intervene, making opposition or reversal practically impossible.
Where does the word "Fait Accompli" come from?
French: 'accomplished fact'. A diplomatic and military term for an action taken to create a new reality on the ground before it can be contested or reversed.