acquisition
noun
ac·qui·si·tion
ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən 
plural acquisitions
1
: the act of acquiring something
acquisition of property
the acquisition of knowledge
2
: something or someone acquired or gained
The team announced two new acquisitions.
Examples of acquisition in a Sentence
Steven Schwartzman, the billionaire CEO of Blackstone, suffers no personal liquidity problems. But his firm, and others like it—have had to call off a series of proposed acquisitions because they can't get financing.
—
Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008
The gifting of books, too, endured as a legacy of our book hunting. I quickly learned not to ask for newly published books as birthday or Christmas presents, since they provided my father with too little of a challenge. The measure of a gift's value was the amount of thought and effort that went into its acquisition.
—Charles Mitchell, Bloomsbury Review, November/December 2002
McKnight and Ward, free-agent acquisitions who each have only one full season as a starter, have brought much-needed speed to the position. But rookie Chris Chambers, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, is the jewel.
—Jeffri Chadiha, Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2000
the country's acquisition of new ships
The big company's newest acquisition is a small chain of clothing stores.
The museum has put its latest acquisitions on display.
Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008
The gifting of books, too, endured as a legacy of our book hunting. I quickly learned not to ask for newly published books as birthday or Christmas presents, since they provided my father with too little of a challenge. The measure of a gift's value was the amount of thought and effort that went into its acquisition.
—Charles Mitchell, Bloomsbury Review, November/December 2002
McKnight and Ward, free-agent acquisitions who each have only one full season as a starter, have brought much-needed speed to the position. But rookie Chris Chambers, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, is the jewel.
—Jeffri Chadiha, Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2000
the country's acquisition of new ships
The big company's newest acquisition is a small chain of clothing stores.
The museum has put its latest acquisitions on display.
Recent Examples on the Web
That short stint was immediately derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a surprise Amazon acquisition, but their impressive taste made Hollywood take notice.
—Gregory Ellwood, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Anatolii Kasianov, co-founder and co-CEO of Holywater, said acquisition costs can reach $20 to $30 per install, forcing companies to rely heavily on data analytics and artificial intelligence to manage spending efficiently.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Vaster provides loans for site acquisitions, allowing developers the time to prepare for the construction phase of their projects.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Proceeds from the evening will continue to provide the Costume Institute with its primary source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions and operations, alongside support for other museum activities.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acquisition
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Gregory Ellwood, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Anatolii Kasianov, co-founder and co-CEO of Holywater, said acquisition costs can reach $20 to $30 per install, forcing companies to rely heavily on data analytics and artificial intelligence to manage spending efficiently.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Vaster provides loans for site acquisitions, allowing developers the time to prepare for the construction phase of their projects.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Proceeds from the evening will continue to provide the Costume Institute with its primary source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions and operations, alongside support for other museum activities.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acquisition
Cite this Entry
“Acquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquisition. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
acquisition
noun
ac·qui·si·tion
ˌak-wə-ˈzish-ən
1
: the act of acquiring
2
: something acquired
Legal Definition
acquisition
noun
ac·qui·si·tion
ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən
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