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

• cultivate
• develop
• form

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

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

• acquire a reputation

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