acquire
[ uh-kwahyuh r ]
/ əˈkwaɪər /
verb (used with object), ac·quired, ac·quir·ing.
to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own: to acquire property.
to gain for oneself through one's actions or efforts: to acquire learning.
Linguistics.
to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element).
Military.
to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar.
Origin of acquire
1400–50; < Latin
acquīrere to add to one's possessions, acquire (
ac-
ac- +
-quīrere, combining form of
quaerere to search for, obtain); replacing late Middle English
aquere < Middle French
aquerre < Latin
SYNONYMS FOR acquire
1 See
get.
2 win, earn, attain; appropriate.
OTHER WORDS FROM acquire
Words nearby acquire
Example sentences from the Web for acquired
British Dictionary definitions for acquired
acquire
/ (əˈkwaɪə) /
verb
(tr)
to get or gain (something, such as an object, trait, or ability), esp more or less permanently
Derived forms of acquire
acquirable, adjective acquirement, noun acquirer, nounWord Origin for acquire
C15: via Old French from Latin
acquīrere, from
ad- in addition +
quaerere to get, seek
Medical definitions for acquired
acquired
[ ə-kwīrd′ ]
adj.
Of or relating to a disease, condition, or characteristic that is not congenital but develops after birth.
Developed in response to an antigen, as resistance to a disease by vaccination or previous infection.