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.

The company last year acquired a smaller parts maker that, like Magna, built a factory to supply GM electric pickups.

From The Wall Street Journal

The move came less than two months after Chicago acquired Ivey from the Detroit Pistons.

From Los Angeles Times

It also has acquired or won approval to acquire three firms, and it’s secured a $190 million contract with the U.S.

From MarketWatch

But some in the industry question whether Virtus can actually get the mines up and running, even if it has acquired them on paper.

From The Wall Street Journal

It might seem like Biogen is paying a lot to acquire the smaller company, and Tuesday’s stock moves suggest investors weren’t too pleased.

From Barron's

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