From Middle English acqueren, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquirō; ad- + quaerō.

• (America) IPA: /əˈkwaɪɚ/
• (RP) IPA: /əˈkwaɪə/

acquire (acquires, present participle acquiring; simple past and past participle acquired)

1. (transitive) To get.
2. (transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own

   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.

   • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). The Consideration of our Latter End”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC ↗:

     No virtue is acquired in an instant, but by degrees, step by step.

   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →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.

3. (medicine) To become affected by an illness.

   Synonyms: contract, catch, get

4. (computing) To sample signals and convert them into digital values.

• (get, gain) attain, come by, earn, gain, obtain, procure, secure, win

• (antonym(s) of “get, gain”): abandon, lose

• acquisition
• acquirement
• acquisitive
• acquisitory

• French: acquérir
• German: erwerben
• Italian: acquisire
• Portuguese: adquirir
• Russian: приобрета́ть
• Spanish: obtener

• French: acquérir
• German: erwerben, akquirieren
• Italian: acquisire
• Portuguese: adquirir
• Russian: овладева́ть
• Spanish: adquirir