Acquire Meaning
/əˈkwaɪɚ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo get.
verbTo gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own.
Sentence Examples
Is it possible to acquire the bestseller in the bookstore in Akita?
I managed to acquire two tickets for the concert.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company plans to ____ a smaller competitor to expand its market share.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company plans to ____ its main rival early next year.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English acqueren, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquirō; ad- + quaerō (“to seek for”). See quest.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The company plans to ____ a smaller competitor to expand its market share.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company plans to ____ its main rival early next year.