acquire
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
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Linguistics. to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element).
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Military. to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar.
verb
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
Amazon has been more eager to acquire companies to help expand its empire, now worth $2.26 trillion.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
In 2024, Apollo-managed funds and affiliates led an $11.2 billion investment to acquire a 49% stake in a joint venture related to the Ireland facility, dubbed Fab 34.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
The arrangement could also force Lennar to acquire land in excess of demand, forcing it offer additional incentives to offload inventory, which could “meaningfully impact ROE,” Bettenhausen says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In the minds of Shaker students, however, Toothpick Day would acquire the status of legend, and in future years, during Senior Prank Week, toothpicks were banned from the school by threat of detention.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
