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

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 Global Payments acquired Netspend in 2019 as part of its $21.5 billion buy of Total Systems Services. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 Condé Nast had acquired Reddit for $10 million in 2006 before spinning it out in 2011. Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 The Sharks figure to be underdogs to a Tampa Bay team that has now won four in a row since acquiring Duclair, who has five points in that time. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Portugal scrapped its golden visa program last year, which allowed foreigners to acquire residency and eventually citizenship in the country through the purchase of property. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024 Fashion firm Puig acquired a majority share in Van Noten in 2018, with the designer remaining creative director of the brand, which has expanded into beauty and fragrance. Samuel Petrequin, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Unilever acquired the Islay Klondike Company in 1993. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 In 2015, speciality chemicals company Albemarle Corp. acquired Rockwood, which left Ghasemi to decide his next move. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 In another deal, the Sharks also acquired goalie Devin Cooley from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2025 seventh-round pick originally owned by the Washington Capitals. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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