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

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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 See all Example Sentences for fait accompli