Meaning & use

acquire

verb·Academic

To gain possession of something, often gradually or through effort.

See it in a sentence

She acquired fluency in Spanish after two years of daily practice.

The company acquired a smaller rival to expand into new markets.

A note on using this word

Acquire suggests a process, unlike the more casual 'get'; it is common in business and academic writing.

Words with a similar meaning

obtaingainattain

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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