acquire

[uh-kwahyuhr]

verb (used with object)

acquired, acquiring 

1. to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own.

   to acquire property.

2. to gain for oneself through one's actions or efforts.

   to acquire learning.

   Synonyms: appropriate, attain, earn, win

3. Linguistics.,  to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element).

4. Military.,  to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar.

acquire

/ əˈkwaɪə /

verb

1. (tr) to get or gain (something, such as an object, trait, or ability), esp more or less permanently

Other Word Forms

• acquirable adjective
• acquirer noun
• acquirement noun
• acquirability noun
• preacquire verb
• reacquire verb (used with object)
• self-acquired adjective
• unacquirable adjective
• unacquired adjective
• well-acquired adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acquire¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin acquīrere “to add to one's possessions, acquire” ( ac- ac- + -quīrere, combining form of quaerere “to search for, obtain”); replacing late Middle English aquere, from Middle French aquerre, from Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of acquire¹

C15: via Old French from Latin acquīrere, from ad- in addition + quaerere to get, seek

Synonym Study

See get.

Example Sentences

These acquired mutations produce new variants, which is why both the COVID-19 mRNA and the whole-virus flu vaccine get updated annually – to keep up with natural changes in the virus.

From Salon

Taccone’s film “Over Your Dead Body,” which he directed, was recently acquired by IFC in May, according to Deadline.

From Los Angeles Times

The purpose of the cap is to ensure parity, preventing the wealthiest teams from outspending smaller markets to acquire the best players.

From Los Angeles Times

Koman: It made sense, just on a business level, that if one company was acquired by another, that some people would move over into that company.

From Los Angeles Times

He did not confirm who would be obliged to acquire a digital ID if the government does go ahead with the scheme.

From BBC

Related Words

• achieve 
• amass 
• bring in 
• buy 
• collect 
• earn 
• gain 
• get 
• have 
• pick up 
• promote 
• take 
• win 

When To Use

What does acquire mean?

Acquire most commonly means to get, buy, or learn.Acquire has a lot of meanings that vary with context. Most of them refer to the act of getting something permanently. It has more specific meanings in linguistics and in the context of the military. It’s easy to misspell acquire as aquire, so don’t forget the c.Example: When the merger is complete, our company will have acquired its largest competitor.