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
Injury update Guard Ryan Conwell, who was acquired by the Heat in the second round of this year’s draft, missed his second straight summer league game on Monday. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 The complaint also listed OpenAI as a defendant, as well as io Products, a hardware design firm acquired by OpenAI last year that was co-founded by Apple’s former design boss, Jony Ive. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 13 July 2026 The findings also sparked debate on social media over how Russia may have acquired the manufacturing capability. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026 Based on the land, Brand believes the painting was acquired around 1925. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026 North Carolina has fewer than 100 cases confirmed to be acquired domestically, but is among five states with 31-80 cases, according to the CDC. — Eva Flowe july 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026 Silvia Petrova and her family, longtime residents of Saratoga, acquired Bell Tower Café last year and transformed the adjacent building into a riff on a speakeasy, featuring craft cocktails. — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 12 July 2026 Under Pebley’s direction, the Sparks hired coach Lynne Roberts and acquired Plum and Nneka Ogwumike, a former most valuable player with the team. — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 At the same time, some of the larger game studios Microsoft has acquired are still apparently considered very desirable parts of its portfolio. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquired
  1. incidental
  2. nonhereditary
  3. developed
  4. earned
  5. surface
  6. cultivated
  7. gained
  8. accidental
Adjective
  • American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 13 July 2026
  • The contact between Balogun and the Bosnian player was clearly incidental, with both going for the ball, leading to the awkward foot placement.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 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
  • Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has tapped into the same penalty-box instincts that the 30-year-old has developed since that afternoon in Leicester.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • University of Utah researchers have developed a 3D printing method that creates solid microstructures in a single laser exposure, eliminating the weak seams typically left behind by conventional layer-by-layer printing.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • Two seasons later, Dryer earned his one and only Pro Bowl nod.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Will Richard does all of the little things With the regular Warriors squad, Will Richard earned his minutes by doing all of the unglamorous things on the court.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of earned
Adjective
  • Yet, the current market set-up, in which a hyper-concentrated S & P 500 regularly goes the opposite direction of a majority of its components, an understanding of sub-surface influences has become almost a necessity.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • Seahawk missions include anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief, and combat search and rescue, according to Naval Air Systems Command.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of surface
Verb
  • But the star has cultivated a loyal collective of her favorite brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Area (recall her famous Super Bowl jeans).
    — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The one-person filmmaker averages 3 million views per episode and has cultivated a YouTube audience of 500,000.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • But the cause of female succession has gained little traction.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Illinois is where presidents have been born, gained experience to lead the nation — and even forced to resign, thanks in part to efforts by the Tribune.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of gained
Adjective
  • Fire officials deemed the fire accidental after determining that the family dog, Bo, jumped onto the kitchen counter and turned on the toaster, which ignited nearby combustibles.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Its lightweight, compliant structure makes accidental contact with people, pets and furniture far safer than conventional drones.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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