Synonyms

acquire

American

[uh-kwahyuhr] / əˈkwaɪər /

verb (used with object)

acquired, acquiring

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

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

to acquire learning.

Synonyms:

appropriate, attain, earn, win
Linguistics. to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element).
Military. to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar.

acquire British

/ əˈkwaɪə /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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.

Related Words

See get.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of acquire

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lilly will acquire sleep medicine company Centessa Pharmaceuticals for an initial $6.3 billion...SpaceX filed for its initial public offering, possibly in July.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Find insight on AstraZeneca, Biogen’s deal to acquire Apellis Pharmaceuticals, and more in the latest Market Talks covering the Health Care sector.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Amazon.com is reportedly in talks to acquire satellite company Globalstar as it looks to build out its own space-based communications network.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

If SpaceX were to acquire GlobalStar, it would mark the company’s second acquisition this year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

I mean, it was inevitable that Laleh would acquire a taste for Star Trek—eventually.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023