acquire

verb

ac·​quire ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r How to pronounce acquire (audio)
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

Example Sentences

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 This will mark the first edition of the event since the ATX festival was acquired in November by Penske Media Corporation. Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023 Shaw was acquired this year by Rogers Communications after overcoming years of regulatory hurdles. Ben Gottesman, PCMAG, 17 May 2023 Team Coco, which was acquired by SiriusXM in 2022, includes digital and branded content, live events, merchandise and other production. Michael Schneider, Variety, 17 May 2023 Caldwell-Pope was acquired by the Nuggets from the Wizards last July and has flourished. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023 Funds had been allocated to a forest-preservation project but ended up being used to acquire medical equipment to fight COVID-19 among the Yanomami, the company said. Fabiano Maisonnave, Fortune, 15 May 2023 Microsoft acquisition:Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard, publisher of Call of Duty, for $68.7 billion Fierce opposition has been driven by rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation gaming system. Kelvin Chan, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023 Three days before Opening Day, the Detroit Tigers acquired Zach McKinstry from the Chicago Cubs in an unexpected trade. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 14 May 2023 Kristy Wallace: Wallace played for Sides with the Dream last season and was acquired for Danielle Robinson in January. Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 11 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acquire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of acquire was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near acquire

Cite this Entry

“Acquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquire. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

acquire

verb
ac·​quire ə-ˈkwī(ə)r How to pronounce acquire (audio)
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 How to pronounce acquire (audio)
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 childhoodNoam Chomsky
bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics
insects that acquire resistance to insecticides

Legal Definition

acquire

transitive verb
ac·​quire ə-ˈkwīr How to pronounce acquire (audio)
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 acquiredR. C. Clark
the court acquired jurisdiction
acquirer noun
also acquiror
ə-ˈkwīr-ər

More from Merriam-Webster on acquire

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