Dictionary

acquire en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈkwaɪɚ/ (General-American)
• /əˈkwaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English acqueren, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquirō; ad- + quaerō (“to seek for”). See quest.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To get.
2. (transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own.
   • Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall. 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
   • In the process of basification, the top layer of the crust becomes basic, while the lower becomes ultrabasic acquiring the density of the mantle or an even greater density 1980, A. W. Bally, Dynamics of Plate Interiors, →ISBN, page 49:
   • If you're black you've had to improvise communication with unilingual whites, she'd probably easily acquire this ancient one, too. 2012, Nadine Gordimer, No Time Like the Present, Bloomsbury, published 2013, page 46:
   • He acquired a title.
   • One should acquire as much knowledge as possible from reading.
   • to acquire decent habits and manners
   • No virtue is acquired in an instant, but by degrees, step by step. a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number)”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:
   • Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
   • to acquire a skill
   • All the riches he acquired were from hard work.
3. To become affected by an illness.
4. To sample signals and convert them into digital values.
5. (Canada, US) To begin tracking a mobile target with a particular detector or sight, generally with the implication that an attack on the target thereby becomes possible.

Forms

Antonyms

discard · lose (antonym(s) of “get, gain”) · dispose · abandon (antonym(s) of “get, gain”)

Deriveds

acquirer · acquiree · acquirability · acquiry · reacquire · acquihire · pre-acquired · preacquire · after-acquired title · acquired taste · acquirable · unacquire

Hypernyms

have

Hyponyms

annex · take · seize · capture · corral · bank · buy

Relateds

acquisitory · obtain · reach · acquisition · acquisitive · acquirement

Synonyms

attain (get, gain) · achieve · catch · gain (get, gain) · gather · collect · secure (get, gain) · earn (get, gain) · get · obtain (get, gain) · acquire · come by (get, gain) · contract · get · find · score · win (get, gain) · procure (get, gain)

Translations (139)

ru доста́ть (to get) · la potior (to get) · nl verkrijgen (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · de erwerben (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · cmn 取得 (to get) · ru овладе́ть (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · uk здобува́ти (to get) · be набыва́ць (to get) · gl adquirir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ar حَصَلَ (to get) · sh сте̏ћи (to get) · enm acqueren (to get) · az tutulmaq (medical: become affected by an illness) · ast adquirir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ru нажи́ть (to get) · nb oppnå (to get) · it acquisire (to get) · ru пости́гнуть (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ru пости́чь (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · vi kiếm được (to get) · sq ngakton (to get) · ca adquirir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv förvärva (to get) · fi hankkia (to get) · sv få (medical: become affected by an illness) · ru добыва́ть (to get) · vi đạt được (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · it acquisire (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv uppköpa (to get) · uk оволоді́ти (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · nl verwerven (to get) · az almaq (to get) · la acquirō (to get) · ar رَبِحَ (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · la nancīscor (to get) · fr acquérir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ru приобрести́ (to get) · pt adquirir (to get) · uk набува́ти (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sk získať (to get) · et hankima (to get) · vi đạt được (to get) · bg придоби́вам (to get) · sv få (to get) · he השיג (to get) · da erhverve (to get) · ru постига́ть (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · mi kaitaonga (to get) · bg постигам (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · cmn 獲得 /获得 (to get) · bg реализирам (to get) · kw akwirya (to get) · vi thu được (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · gl obter (to get) · nl opdoen (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · da opkøbe (to get) · nl verkrijgen (to get) · mi tango (to get) · sl pridobiti (to get) · kw akwirya (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · cs získat (to get) · he רכש (to get) · lv iegūt (to get) · et omandama (to get) · la teneo (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · de erwerben (to get) · sh stȅći (to get) · az yoluxmaq (medical: become affected by an illness) · uk отри́мувати (to get) · ckb پەیداکردن (to get) · ru овладева́ть (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ca adquirir (to get) · tr edinmek (to get) · hu hozzájut (to get) · da skaffe (to get) · uk отри́мати (to get) · hu szerez (to get) · ja 得る (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · vi giành được (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · hu szerez (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · uk набу́ти (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · gl acadar (to get) · ru приобрета́ть (to get) · ms peroleh (to get) · ru добы́ть (to get) · he קיבל (to get) · uk оволодіва́ти (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · da erhverve (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · hy ստանալ (to get) · bg спечелвам (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · hy ձեռք բերել (to get) · ru получи́ть (to get) · nl verwerven (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · et hankima (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · es obtener (to get) · fi hankkia (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · uk досягти́ (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · az qazanmaq (to get) · es adquirir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv förvärva (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ru нажива́ть (to get) · af aanleer (to get) · la potior (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ko 획득하다 (to get) · pl nabyć (to get) · fa به دست آوردن (to get) · az sahib olmaq (to get) · uk здобу́ти (to get) · grc κτάομαι (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · hu megszerez (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv drabbas av (medical: become affected by an illness) · eo akiri (to get) · fr acquérir (to get) · da få (to get) · mt kiseb (to get) · ja 獲得する (to get) · mk придобива (to get) · bg придоби́я (to get) · ar كَسَبَ (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv skaffa (to get) · sl pridobivati (to get) · ru получа́ть (to get) · de akquirieren (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ru достава́ть (to get) · pl nabywać (to get) · cs získávat (to get) · be набы́ць (to get) · az əldə etmək (to get) · mk придобие (to get) · uk досяга́ти (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sk získavať (to get) · af aanleer (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · pt adquirir (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · sv införskaffa (to get) · la nancīscor (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · da anskaffe (to get) · grc κτάομαι (to get) · et omandama (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own) · ar اِكْتَسَبَ (to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own)