fait accompli

See also: Fait accompli

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French fait accompli (“an accomplished fact”), from fait (“a fact”) + accompli (“accomplished”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfeɪt.əˈkɔm.pli/, /ˌfeɪt.əˌkɔmˈpli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

fait accompli (plural faits accomplis)

1. An accomplished fact, something that has already occurred.

   Synonym: (US) done deal

   • 1857, Anthony Trollope, chapter XLVII, in Barchester Towers. […], copyright edition, volume II, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, published 1859, →OCLC, page 272:

     Mr. Quiverful's appointment to the hospital was, however, a fait accompli, and Mr. Harding's acquiescence in that appointment was not less so.

   • 1913, Saki, When William Came, Chapter VII:

     “In quarters where the fait accompli is an object of solicitude,” said Yeovil.

   • 2003, Matthew Restall, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 65:

     The phrase “Spanish Conquest” and all it implies has come down through history because the Spaniards were so concerned to depict their endeavors as conquests and pacifications, as contracts fulfilled, as providential intention, as faits accomplis.

   • 2018, Shoshana Zuboff, chapter 10, in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism:

     [Hal] Varian awards surveillance capitalists the privilege of the experimenter's role, and this is presented as another casual fait accompli.

Usage notes

Often said of something irreversible and/or performed without going through standard procedure, completed before those affected by it are in a position to query or reverse it.

Translations

an accomplished fact

• Arabic: أمر واقع m
• Azerbaijani: baş tutmuş fakt
• Bulgarian: свършен факт m (svǎršen fakt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 既成事實／既成事实 (zh) (jìchéng shìshí)

• Danish: fait accompli
• Dutch: voldongen feit n
• Finnish: tapahtunut tosiasia
• French: fait accompli (fr) m
• German: vollendete Tatsache f, Fait accompli (de) n
• Greek: τετελεσμένο γεγονός (el) n (tetelesméno gegonós)
• Hebrew: עובדה מוגמרת f (uvdá mugméret), מעשה עשוי m (maasé asúy)
• Hungarian: kész helyzet
• Icelandic: orðinn hlutur m, búið og gert n
• Italian: fatto compiuto m
• Japanese: 既成事実 (ja) (きせいじじつ, kisei jijitsu)
• Kyrgyz: болгон иш (ky) (bolgon iş), факт (ky) (fakt)
• Persian: عمل انجام‌شده
• Polish: fakt dokonany m
• Portuguese: fato consumado (pt) m, fait accompli m
• Russian: сверши́вшийся факт m (sveršívšijsja fakt), постфа́ктум (ru) (postfáktum)
• Spanish: hecho consumado m
• Swedish: fullbordat faktum n
• Thai: เรื่องที่ยุติแล้ว (rʉ̂ʉang-tîi-yút-dtì-lɛ́ɛo)
• Turkish: emrivaki (tr), oldubitti (tr), olupbitti (tr)
• Ukrainian: доконаний факт m (dokonanyj fakt)

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛ.t‿a.kɔ̃.pli/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Noun

fait accompli m (plural faits accomplis)

1. a fait accompli, a done deal

Usage notes

• Most often used in the expression “placer/mettre quelqu’un devant le fait accompli” meaning “to present somebody with a fait accompli”.

Portuguese

Noun

fait accompli m (plural faits accomplis)

1. fait accompli (an established fact)