acquisitive

American  

[uh-kwiz-i-tiv] / əˈkwɪz ɪ tɪv /

Also acquisitory

adjective

1. tending or seeking to acquire and own, often greedily; eager to get wealth, possessions, etc..

   our acquisitive impulses; acquisitive societies.

   Synonyms:

   avaricious, grasping, covetous

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acquisitive British  

/ əˈkwɪzɪtɪv /

adjective

1. inclined or eager to acquire things, esp material possessions

   we currently live in an acquisitive society

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Usage

What does acquisitive mean? Acquisitive most generally means tending or seeking to gain possession of wealth or material things, especially in a greedy way. It’s perhaps most commonly used in a more specific way to describe companies that are known for acquiring (buying) other companies and properties—which are often referred to as acquisitions. (However, it’s used much less commonly than acquisition.) This sense of the word doesn’t necessarily imply greediness like the more general sense does, but it can imply that such companies tend to buy up competitors. Example: The tech conglomerates are notoriously acquisitive, buying out any startup that has some technology they want.

Other Word Forms

• acquisitively adverb
• acquisitiveness noun
• nonacquisitive adjective
• nonacquisitively adverb
• nonacquisitiveness noun
• preacquisitive adjective
• preacquisitively adverb
• preacquisitiveness noun
• unacquisitive adjective
• unacquisitively adverb
• unacquisitiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of acquisitive

1630–40; < Medieval Latin, Late Latin acquīsītīvus; acquisition, -ive

Explanation

It may seem like your acquisitive cousin never talks about anything but shopping. Someone who's acquisitive is preoccupied with possessing material things. If you were trying to improve yourself by becoming less acquisitive, you might destroy your credit cards and force yourself to take a break from buying things. The adjective acquisitive comes from Latin word for "accumulate," acquirere, so when you're consumed with accumulating more and more, you can describe yourself as acquisitive. It's an easy word to confuse with inquisitive, which means "curious or inquiring." It's much better to be inquisitive than acquisitive!

Example Sentences

But Big Pharma has been acquisitive lately, as it seeks to stock its pipeline with developmental drugs aimed at growing market categories.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Danaher has a history of being acquisitive, and the company is already a big player in diagnostics and other medical technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

It was a day in which an acquisitive foreign power had sent an uninvited delegation to the world's largest island with an uncomfortable message.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

By confronting the emptiness of consumerism, the Sex Pistols encourage listeners to get beyond object-oriented, acquisitive pursuits.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024

His manner is mild, his hands large, with thick fingers and acquisitive thumbs, his blue eyes uncommunicative, falsely innocuous.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• rapacious