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
Last Tuesday, reliever Brock Stewart, their lone bullpen acquisition at the trade deadline, recorded a hold with one scoreless inning against the Blue Jays and promptly went on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Peg that to the wonky economics of the acquisition business nowadays and the rift between production cost and sales prices.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2025
However, the Mad Drops enter the playoffs as the betting favorites thanks to the blockbuster late-season trade acquisition of Ben Johns.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
The acquisition, brokered by XYZ Films, comes ahead of the movie’s world premiere at the 2025 Fantastic Fest film festival.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquisition
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Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Peg that to the wonky economics of the acquisition business nowadays and the rift between production cost and sales prices.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2025
However, the Mad Drops enter the playoffs as the betting favorites thanks to the blockbuster late-season trade acquisition of Ben Johns.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
The acquisition, brokered by XYZ Films, comes ahead of the movie’s world premiere at the 2025 Fantastic Fest film festival.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquisition
Cite this Entry
“Acquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquisition. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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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