Main Entry: ac·quire

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈkwī(ə)r\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): ac·quired; ac·quir·ing

: 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>