acquired 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of acquirednext
1
as in adscititious

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2
as in nonhereditary

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acquired

2 of 2

verb

past tense of acquire
1
as in developed
to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in earned
to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acquired
Adjective
Transferring to Paramount+ will be all content currently on BET+ – original and acquired – subject to rights restrictions and license expirations. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
In 2024, the city of Detroit reached a settlement with one Robert Williams that prohibited police from making arrests based solely on information acquired from facial recognition technology. — Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026 The company acquired wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar last year and recently purchased a portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses that could allow Starlink Mobile’s signal to penetrate buildings. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2026 In 2024, Netflix acquired the documentary Yintah, which follows Indigenous activists with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation looking to protect their lands and was directed by Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham and Brenda Mitchell. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026 Two years later, the fashion group acquired a 30 percent stake in the designer brand through Gilmar Divisione Industria SpA, while Dell’Acqua retained a 70 percent majority stake in the company. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026 The Rams acquired Garrett in June by sending edge rusher Jared Verse, a first-round draft pick and future picks to the Cleveland Browns for the two-time NFL defensive player of the year, who amassed an NFL season-record 23 sacks last season. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 Directed by Rachael Dahl in her feature directorial debut, Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired international rights and will introduce the film to international buyers at the upcoming American Film Market (AFM). — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026 Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International has acquired all International rights ahead of the American Film Market. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026 Among them, still, is the Guggenheim, which has since acquired new Kandinsky works and currently owns more than 150. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquired
  1. incidental
  2. nonhereditary
  3. developed
  4. earned
  5. surface
  6. cultivated
  7. gained
  8. accidental
Adjective
  • Perhaps these statements by the President of the United States are incidental to current efforts by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to tackle a possibly fraudulent immigration application from more than thirty years ago.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The cynic would say their aims are financial, and the outcomes in education are merely incidental to that end.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • Other research shows that nonhereditary forms can result from other factors, including existing medical conditions and diet, reports Maya Yang of the Guardian.
    — David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Aug. 2021
  • Evan, who turns 2 in December, was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare, nonhereditary genetic disorder that has a most cruel and unusual symptom — chronic hunger.
    — Maureen C. Gilmer, Indianapolis Star, 14 Sep. 2017
Definition of nonhereditary
Verb
  • By controlling how densely cancer-targeting proteins are displayed on the virus, the team developed vaccine particles that significantly reduced tumor development in mice.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Tools like Google’s AP2, Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol and Mastercard’s Agent Pay are being developed to address various parts of the process, things like documenting customer intent and verifying legitimate agents.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • Nelson, who ultimately finished sixth and earned $75,000, had equally kind words for his new friend.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Azeem earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of earned
Adjective
  • The ship also supports anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and strike warfare.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The newest options have expanded to include gravel running, or multi-surface running, for the modern sneaker shoe.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of surface
Verb
  • Indígena by Owamni in Minneapolis serves manoomin, among many other wild and cultivated foods native to the Americas.
    — Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Lone Star State native has cultivated a warm reverence for many of his costars across 40 years in film and TV, as Hawke shares in the latest installment of Vanity Fair’s Scene Selection.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • Over the last 15 years, Loveless has gained acclaim for their ability to turn vulgarities into poetry and twist impossibly low romantic standards into dire punchlines.
    — Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But the Broncos gained a scant 77 yards on the ground, a solid performance by the Chiefs.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of gained
Adjective
  • The medical examiner ruled his death accidental, with several secondary causes listed, including heat stress, tachycardia and osteoporosis.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • However, accidental damage and unrelated screen repairs may fall under different coverage terms.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of accidental

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Cite this Entry

“Acquired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquired. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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