ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Acquire

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /əˈkwaɪɚ/ · Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Acquire is a verb meaning (transitive) To get.

Meaning

(transitive) To get.

More Meanings

  1. (transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own.
  2. (medicine) To become affected by an illness.
  3. (computing) To sample signals and convert them into digital values.
  4. (Canada, US, military) 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.

Example Sentences

to acquire a skill
He acquired a title.
to acquire decent habits and manners
All the riches he acquired were from hard work.

Word Forms

Synonyms for acquire

Depending on context, synonyms include attain, earn, gain, obtain, procure, secure.

Antonyms for acquire

Common opposites include abandon, lose, discard, dispose.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include get, develop, produce, take, grow, assume.

Commonly Confused & Compared Words

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.