rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryacquireObtaining
verb

acquire

uh-KWYRE/əˈkwaɪər/

To get or come to have something.

She acquires a new book from the seller and adds it to her collection.

A woman receives a newly purchased plain-covered book from a bookseller and places it beside two books she already owns, clearly gaining possession; no title or shop text.
Etymology
acLatinto; perhaps emphatic
+quireLatinseek to obtain

The root means seeking to obtain, while ad- may simply add emphasis here. The combined Latin verb meant gaining or accumulating: the emphasis is on obtaining something, not merely seeking it.

In context

Haris Kravvaritis3:57
I had begun to acquire an up-to-date insight into Indian Affairs in 1944
The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten 09of12 The Last Viceroy

More examples

  • The museum acquired a painting.
  • He is acquiring practical experience.
  • The metal had acquired a green surface.

Forms

acquire · acquires · acquired · acquiring

Similar words

obtain
Obtain often implies a deliberate effort.
gain
Gain can emphasize increase or benefit rather than possession.