acquired

American  

[uh-kwahy-erd] / əˈkwaɪ ərd /

adjective

1. obtained or procured, such as by purchasing, receiving, learning.

2. Medicine/Medical. (of a disease or condition) developed by the patient at some point after birth.

3. Biology. (of a trait) developed by an organism in response to its environment; not inherited.

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Other Word Forms

• nonacquired adjective
• pre-acquired adjective
• reacquired adjective
• self-acquired adjective
• unacquired adjective

Explanation

The adjective acquired describes something you're not born with: you gain or develop it later in life, like your acquired taste for coffee. Acquired comes from the Latin word acquirere, meaning "to seek in addition to. Something acquired is something you have gotten, not something you always had. For example, you may have acquired the habit of buying lots...and lots of sneakers after getting a job in a shoe store. Or, if you have an acquired habit of reading novels, this is something that developed over time. After all, you weren't born reading!

Example Sentences

It was 1997 and his company Pure Software had just been acquired.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Earlier on Thursday, Intertek said it acquired a solar photovoltaic laboratory in India from Mitsui Chemicals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Amazon acquired Globalstar for nearly $12 billion, gaining existing satellites and critical spectrum for its broadband network.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Now, SpaceX regularly launches Falcon 9 rockets, has developed a major satellite-internet business, is testing a mega-rocket and has acquired Musk’s artificial-intelligence startup.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

In July 1931, she acquired a new title: “Cryptanalyst in Charge.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• captured
• collected
• seized