acquire

American  

[uh-kwahyuhr] / əˈkwaɪər /

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.

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acquire British  

/ əˈkwaɪə /

verb

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

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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

Explanation

To acquire means to get or come to own something. You acquire an education by your own effort. You acquire a painting by paying for it or by someone giving it to you. You acquire a sense of calm in crisis through experience. The list of things you can acquire includes: an object, a trait, a skill, or an ability. An acquired taste is something that people usually don't like when they first experience it, but later they come to enjoy it, such as raw clams or marmite. The verb acquire was borrowed from Latin acquīrere "to add to," from the prefix ad- "at, toward" plus quaerere "to seek, get."

Example Sentences

From Wednesday, British pet owners are no longer able travel with their animals using the EU pet passport scheme and instead have to acquire a new animal heath certificate each time they go abroad.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

That proposal included plans to acquire the block south of the Garden to expand tracks and platforms, further relieving congestion and accommodating additional trains expected from the new cross-Hudson tunnel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Since the market-to-net-asset-value, or mNAV, had dropped from almost three times to one, Executive Chairman Saylor changed tack and began issuing high-yielding preferred shares to acquire bitcoin.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

They traded their fifth-round pick to acquire Oweh in October and gave the Tennessee Titans their seventh rounder in a 2024 trade for safety Elijah Molden.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

“I helped the museum acquire it last year. I’m quite proud of that.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

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