acquire

ac·quire

vt \ə-ˈkwī(ə)r\

ac·quiredac·quir·ing

Definition of ACQUIRE

: to come to have as a new or additional characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort, by mutation, or through environmental forces) <a cognitive system…that is acquired in early childhood—Noam Chomsky> <bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics> <insects that acquire resistance to insecticides>