acquire
verb
ac·quire
ə-ˈkwī(-ə)r 
acquired; acquiring
1
: to get as one's own:
a
: to come into possession or control of often by unspecified means
acquire property
The team acquired three new players this year.
b
: to come to have as a new or added characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort or natural selection)
acquire fluency in French
bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics
2
: to locate and hold (a desired object) in a detector
acquire a target by radar
Examples of acquire in a Sentence
The two ships were acquired by the navy after the war.
The team acquired three new players this year.
The old word has acquired a new meaning.
This apparently minor event has acquired increasing significance in recent weeks.
He is studying the way that language is acquired by children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kansas City’s front office will listen, but the price tag would reportedly be steep for teams looking to acquire either of these All-Stars.
—
Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Reuters initially reported in June that four firms—Blackstone, Apollo, Platinum Equity and Clearlake Capital—expressed interest in acquiring the logistics company.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 July 2025
The Simon family has acquired at least six properties surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the past three years, counting these two latest purchases.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 25 July 2025
The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at the bottom of the National League Central and are looking to acquire pieces for the future around Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquire
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Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Reuters initially reported in June that four firms—Blackstone, Apollo, Platinum Equity and Clearlake Capital—expressed interest in acquiring the logistics company.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 25 July 2025
The Simon family has acquired at least six properties surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the past three years, counting these two latest purchases.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 25 July 2025
The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at the bottom of the National League Central and are looking to acquire pieces for the future around Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for acquire
Cite this Entry
“Acquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquire. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
acquire
verb
ac·quire
ə-ˈkwī(ə)r
acquired; acquiring
: to come to have often by one's own efforts : gain
acquirable
adjective
-ˈkwī-rə-bəl
Medical Definition
acquire
transitive verb
ac·quire
ə-ˈkwī(ə)r
acquired; acquiring
: to come to have as a new or additional characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort, by mutation, or through environmental forces)
a cognitive system … that is acquired in early childhood—Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomskybacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics
insects that acquire resistance to insecticides
Legal Definition
acquire
transitive verb
ac·quire
ə-ˈkwīr
acquired; acquiring
: to come into possession, ownership, or control of : obtain as one's own
the target's directors don't want the company to be acquired—R. C. Clark
R. C. Clarkthe court acquired jurisdiction
acquirer
noun
also acquiror
ə-ˈkwīr-ər
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