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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Its holding group Agache in 2024 acquired a majority stake in Paris FC, which subsequently vaulted back into France’s first division after almost half a century in the second tier. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Elsewhere, Folkets Bio has taken Sweden, AS Fidalgo has Norway and Films4You has Portugal, while CDI/LAT-E has acquired Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 The maison acquired the tiara at auction earlier this year for its archive. — Tanya Dukes, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026 SsangYong was eventually sold to an Indian company; SP is acquired by Americans. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 In 2015, the property was acquired by HRV Hotel Partners before partnering with Auberge Collection in 2016. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 The film has been acquired by Billboard ahead of its fall festival premieres. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026 The jockstrap has been acquired by the Last Week Tonight show host several times and has a long history as a sort-of joke and sort-of charitable item. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2026 Equinoxe Films has acquired the Canadian distribution rights to Elise, targeting a theatrical release in Q4 of next year. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquired
  1. incidental
  2. nonhereditary
  3. developed
  4. earned
  5. surface
  6. cultivated
  7. gained
  8. accidental
Adjective
  • The statute, Government Code section 8314, carries civil penalties, and violations beyond incidental use can be prosecuted as felonies.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The insects also develop in quince and are reported to be incidental in plums, pears, tart cherries, and certain other members of the rose family.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 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
  • Held at Dongseo University’s Centum Campus, the program was developed with the Asian Film Commissions Network and the Motion Picture Association.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Oracle's stock fell 4% in late September after the company sent a force majeure notice tied to Project Jupiter, a New Mexico data center campus and part of the broader Stargate AI buildout developed by Blue Owl.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • Luca Guadagnino‘s tech tale, which follows the five-day period in 2023 when Altman was fired and then rehired, earned rave reviews after its world premiere at New York Film Festival last week.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But the respect the band had earned from the country firmament felt, at best, grudging.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 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
  • The plant is also widely cultivated as a fodder crop for livestock.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Dahlan has since cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates, which has relations with Israel and was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords.
    — Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • The reactionary spirit of mobsters was particularly useful to the authorities when left-wing politics gained steam in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • First Solar — Shares gained 2% after Truist upgraded the solar name to buy from hold.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®,Paulina Likos, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gained
Adjective
  • Related Stories This leads to… his accidental death by chainsaw.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • An accidental double touch on a penalty kick might mean the loss of a football game.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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