verb
Meaning 1
To get.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
acquire
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American: /əˈkwaɪɚ/
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Received-Pronunciation: /əˈkwaɪə/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: AH0 K W AY1 ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- to acquire a skill
- to acquire decent habits and manners
- He acquired a title.
- All the riches he acquired were from hard work.
- One should acquire as much knowledge as possible from reading.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To become affected by an illness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contract, catch, get
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To sample signals and convert them into digital values.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- He grew a beard
- The patient developed abdominal pains
- I got funny spots all over my body
- Well-developed breasts
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: grow, develop, produce, get
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
Narrower terms: fledge, feather, regrow, spring, sprout, stock, stool, tiller, leaf, pod, teethe, pupate, work up, get up, cut
verb
Meaning 7
take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- His voice took on a sad tone
- The story took a new turn
- he adopted an air of superiority
- She assumed strange manners
- The gods assume human or animal form in these fables
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: assume, adopt, take on, take
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
Narrower terms: re-assume
verb
Meaning 8
gain through experience
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I acquired a strong aversion to television
- Children must develop a sense of right and wrong
- Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position
- develop a passion for painting
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: develop, evolve
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
verb
Meaning 9
gain knowledge or skills
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- She learned dancing from her sister
- I learned Sanskrit
- Children acquire language at an amazing rate
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: learn, larn
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: relearn, catch up, absorb, assimilate, ingest, take in, study, hit the books
verb
Meaning 10
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
- They acquired a new pet
- Get your results the next day
- Get permission to take a few days off from work
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: get
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: isolate, win back, get back, press out, express, extract, capture, catch, come by, come into, buy, purchase, lease, rent, hire, charter, engage, take, receive, have, turn, find, glom, enter upon, come upon, luck into, line up, get hold, come up, accept, obtain, recover, retrieve, regain, recoup, recuperate, reclaim, repossess, acquire, win, gain, take in, clear, make, earn, realize, realise, pull in, bring in, garner, profit, benefit, partake, share, partake in, preempt, collect, pick up, gather up, call for, inherit, borrow, get, poll
verb
Meaning 11
win something through one's efforts
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese
- Gain an understanding of international finance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: win, gain
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: get, acquire
Narrower terms: cozen
verb
Meaning 12
locate (a moving entity) by means of a tracking system such as radar
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: situate, locate
History
Etymology
From Middle English acqueren, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquirō; ad- + quaerō (“to seek for”). See quest.
Across languages
Translations
139 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: aanleer — to get
- Albanian: ngakton — to get
- Arabic: حَصَلَ (ḥaṣala) — to get
- Armenian: ձեռք բերել (jeṙkʻ berel) — to get
- Armenian: ստանալ (stanal) — to get
- Azerbaijani: əldə etmək — to get
- Azerbaijani: sahib olmaq — to get
- Azerbaijani: qazanmaq — to get
- Azerbaijani: almaq — to get
- Belarusian: набыва́ць (nabyvácʹ) — to get
- Belarusian: набы́ць (nabýcʹ) — to get
- Bulgarian: придоби́вам (pridobívam) — to get
- Bulgarian: придоби́я (pridobíja) — to get
- Bulgarian: реализирам (realiziram) — to get
- Catalan: adquirir — to get
- Chinese Mandarin: 獲得 /获得 (huòdé) — to get
- Chinese Mandarin: 取得 (qǔdé) — to get
- Cornish: akwirya — to get
- Czech: získávat — to get
- Czech: získat — to get
- Danish: anskaffe — to get
- Danish: erhverve — to get
- Danish: opkøbe — to get
- Danish: skaffe — to get
- Danish: få — to get
- Dutch: verwerven — to get
- Dutch: verkrijgen — to get
- Esperanto: akiri — to get
- Estonian: omandama — to get
- Estonian: hankima — to get
- Finnish: hankkia — to get
- French: acquérir — to get
- Galician: obter — to get
- Galician: acadar — to get
- German: erwerben — to get
- Ancient Greek: κτάομαι (ktáomai) — to get
- Hebrew: רכש (rakhásh) — to get
- Hebrew: קיבל (kibél) — to get
- Hebrew: השיג (hisíg) — to get
- Hungarian: szerez — to get
- Hungarian: hozzájut — to get
- Italian: acquisire — to get
- Japanese: 獲得する (kakutoku suru) — to get
- Korean: 획득하다 (hoekdeukhada) — to get
- Central Kurdish: پەیداکردن (peydakirdin) — to get
- Latin: potior — to get
- Latin: acquirō — to get
- Latin: nancīscor — to get
- Latvian: iegūt — to get
- Macedonian: придобива (pridobiva) — to get
- Macedonian: придобие (pridobie) — to get
- Malay: peroleh — to get
- Maltese: kiseb — to get
- Māori: kaitaonga — to get
- Māori: tango — to get
- Middle English: acqueren — to get
- Norwegian Bokmål: oppnå — to get
- Persian: به دست آوردن (be dast âvardan) — to get
- Polish: nabywać — to get
- Polish: nabyć — to get
- Portuguese: adquirir — to get
- Russian: добыва́ть (dobyvátʹ) — to get
- Russian: добы́ть (dobýtʹ) — to get
- Russian: достава́ть (dostavátʹ) — to get
- Russian: доста́ть (dostátʹ) — to get
- Russian: нажива́ть (naživátʹ) — to get
- Russian: нажи́ть (nažítʹ) — to get
- Russian: получа́ть (polučátʹ) — to get
- Russian: получи́ть (polučítʹ) — to get
- Russian: приобрета́ть (priobretátʹ) — to get
- Russian: приобрести́ (priobrestí) — to get
- Serbo-Croatian: сте̏ћи — to get
- Serbo-Croatian: stȅći — to get
- Slovak: získavať — to get
- Slovak: získať — to get
- Slovene: pridobivati — to get
- Slovene: pridobiti — to get
- Spanish: obtener — to get
- Swedish: införskaffa — to get
- Swedish: förvärva — to get
- Swedish: uppköpa — to get
- Swedish: skaffa — to get
- Swedish: få — to get
- Turkish: edinmek — to get
- Ukrainian: здобува́ти (zdobuváty) — to get
- Ukrainian: здобу́ти (zdobúty) — to get
- Ukrainian: отри́мувати (otrýmuvaty) — to get
- Ukrainian: отри́мати (otrýmaty) — to get
- Vietnamese: đạt được — to get
- Vietnamese: kiếm được — to get
- Afrikaans: aanleer — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Arabic: اِكْتَسَبَ (iktasaba) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Arabic: كَسَبَ (kasaba) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Arabic: رَبِحَ (rabiḥa) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Asturian: adquirir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Bulgarian: постигам (postigam) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Bulgarian: спечелвам (spečelvam) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Catalan: adquirir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Cornish: akwirya — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Danish: erhverve — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Dutch: verwerven — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Dutch: verkrijgen — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Dutch: opdoen — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Estonian: omandama — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Estonian: hankima — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Finnish: hankkia — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- French: acquérir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Galician: adquirir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- German: erwerben — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- German: akquirieren — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ancient Greek: κτάομαι (ktáomai) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Hungarian: szerez — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Hungarian: megszerez — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Italian: acquisire — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Japanese: 得る (eru) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Latin: nancīscor — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Latin: teneo — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Latin: potior — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Portuguese: adquirir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Russian: овладева́ть (ovladevátʹ) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Russian: овладе́ть (ovladétʹ) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Russian: постига́ть (postigátʹ) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Russian: пости́чь (postíčʹ) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Russian: пости́гнуть (postígnutʹ) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Spanish: adquirir — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Swedish: förvärva — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: оволодіва́ти (ovolodiváty) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: оволоді́ти (ovolodíty) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: досяга́ти (dosjaháty) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: досягти́ (dosjahtý) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: набува́ти (nabuváty) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Ukrainian: набу́ти (nabúty) — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Vietnamese: thu được — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Vietnamese: đạt được — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Vietnamese: giành được — to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
- Azerbaijani: tutulmaq — medical: become affected by an illness
- Azerbaijani: yoluxmaq — medical: become affected by an illness
- Swedish: få — medical: become affected by an illness
- Swedish: drabbas av — medical: become affected by an illness
Real reading context