acquire

verb

ac·quire | \ ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r

acquired; acquiring

Definition of acquire

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

Other Words from acquire Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about acquire

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Synonyms & Antonyms for acquire

Synonyms

cultivate, develop, form

Antonyms

lose

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

For the second time in recent months, a unit of Goldman Sachs has acquired a stake in a venture firm. — Yuliya Chernova, WSJ, "Goldman Sachs Bets Again on VC With Stake in Industry Ventures Management Company," 17 Apr. 2019 The apartment's representative, Melissa Regan of MR Agency, then acquired the space and asked the pair to handle the interiors. — Roxanne Robinson, ELLE Decor, "You Can Now Buy the Incredibly Chic Lighting at the Coco Chanel Apartment in Paris," 25 Sep. 2018 Analysts see CA Technologies as a way for Broadcom to acquire a highly profitable mainframe business that would broaden its portfolio, and apply its belt-tightening formula to raise profits. — New York Times, "Broadcom Reaches Nearly $19 Billion Deal to Buy CA Technologies," 11 July 2018 Private-equity firm Great Hill Partners has agreed to acquire Gizmodo Media Group from Univision Communications Inc., the companies said, ending the Spanish-language broadcaster’s foray into English-language digital media. — Benjamin Mullin, WSJ, "Great Hill Partners Agrees to Acquire Gizmodo Media Group," 8 Apr. 2019 This meticulously resorted Victorian manse set on 34 acres of Scottish woodlands first made headlines in 2014, when it was acquired by none other than tennis star Andy Murray, who hails from this part of Perthshire. — Betsy Blumenthal, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Hotels in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 The top contender is Jimmy Choo, which is based in the UK, though it was acquired by U.S. based Michael Kors in November last year. — Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meet The Designers Possibly Behind Princess Eugenie's Wedding Shoes," 4 Oct. 2018 Tuesday's announcement didn't include any mention of Fusion, the online-only media platform that Univision acquired in early 2016 from Disney. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Two years after buying, Univision wants to sell its Gawker, Onion portfolios," 11 July 2018 Kyle O'Quinn isn't a shooter, either, but he was acquired as free agent because of his rebounding. — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "If former first-round pick T.J. Leaf is going to crack Pacers lineup, he's got to pick it up," 8 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acquire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for acquire

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

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Dictionary Entries near acquire

acquired brain injury

Statistics for acquire

Last Updated

7 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for acquire

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

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More Definitions for acquire

acquire

verb

English Language Learners Definition of acquire

formal : to get (something) : to come to own (something) : to come to have (something)

: to gain (a new skill, ability, etc.) usually by your own effort

See the full definition for acquire in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acquire

verb

ac·quire | \ ə-ˈkwīr

acquired; acquiring

Kids Definition of acquire

: to get especially through effort : gain acquire a skill

acquire

transitive verb

ac·quire | \ ə-ˈkwī(ə)r

acquired; acquiring

Medical Definition of acquire

: 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

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acquire

transitive verb

ac·quire | \ ə-ˈkwīr

acquired; acquiring

Legal Definition of acquire

: 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