acquire

verb

ac·​quire ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r 

acquired; acquiring

transitive verb

1

: to get as one's own:

a

: to come into possession or control of often by unspecified means

acquire property

The team acquired three new players this year.

b

: to come to have as a new or added characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort or natural selection)

acquire fluency in French

bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics

2

: to locate and hold (a desired object) in a detector

acquire a target by radar

Synonyms of acquire

• develop
• cultivate

Examples of acquire in a Sentence

The two ships were acquired by the navy after the war.

The team acquired three new players this year.

The old word has acquired a new meaning.

This apparently minor event has acquired increasing significance in recent weeks.

He is studying the way that language is acquired by children.

Recent Examples on the Web

But five first-round draft choices eliminated for the Clippers, a team that was already acquiring draft picks in an obvious rebuild! — Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

The Bayeux Museum recently acquired an early photographic copy of the tapestry from the estate of the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Aflac initially gained a bigger profile after introducing its duck mascot in 1999, in ads crafted by Kaplan Thaler Group, an independent agency that was eventually acquired by Publicis Groupe of France. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Griffin acquired the painting in a private transaction through Christie’s in 2024, with art experts estimating its value at $200 million or more. — Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin acquīrere, from ad- ad- + quaerere "to seek, gain, obtain, enquire"; replacing earlier aquere, going back to Middle English aqweren, borrowed from Anglo-French acquerre, going back to Vulgar Latin *acquaerere, restructuring (by restoring the vocalism of quaerere) of acquīrere — more at quest entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing acquire

• acquire a reputation

Rhymes for acquire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

Kids Definition

acquire

verb

ac·​quire ə-ˈkwī(ə)r 

acquired; acquiring

: to come to have often by one's own efforts : gain

acquirable

-ˈkwī-rə-bəl

adjective

Medical Definition

acquire

transitive verb

ac·​quire ə-ˈkwī(ə)r 

acquired; acquiring

: 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

Legal Definition

acquire

transitive verb

ac·​quire ə-ˈkwīr 

acquired; acquiring

: to come into possession, ownership, or control of : obtain as one's own

the target's directors don't want the company to be acquired

—R. C. Clark

the court acquired jurisdiction

acquirer noun

also acquiror

ə-ˈkwīr-ər