acquire
verb OPAL WOPAL S
/əˈkwaɪə(r)/
/əˈkwaɪər/
(formal)Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they acquire | /əˈkwaɪə(r)/ /əˈkwaɪər/ |
| he / she / it acquires | /əˈkwaɪəz/ /əˈkwaɪərz/ |
| past simple acquired | /əˈkwaɪəd/ /əˈkwaɪərd/ |
| past participle acquired | /əˈkwaɪəd/ /əˈkwaɪərd/ |
| -ing form acquiring | /əˈkwaɪərɪŋ/ /əˈkwaɪərɪŋ/ |
- acquire something to gain something by your own efforts, ability or behaviour
- She has acquired a good knowledge of English.
- How long will it take to acquire the necessary skills?
- I would love to apply the newly acquired skills to a job that I enjoy.
- He has acquired a reputation for dishonesty.
- I have recently acquired a taste for olives.
Extra Examples- When you have acquired a basic range of computing skills, you will be ready to start the job.
- to acquire a love of something
- to acquire a bad name/criminal record/tan/look/appearance
- acquire something to obtain something by buying or being given it
- Not all of the land acquired for the road has been paid for yet.
- Austria has pledged not to acquire nuclear weapons.
- Property acquired through crime will be confiscated.
- The company has just acquired new premises.
- How did the gallery come to acquire so many Picassos?
- I've suddenly acquired a stepbrother.
Word Originlate Middle English acquere, from Old French aquerre, based on Latin acquirere ‘get in addition’, from ad- ‘to’ + quaerere ‘seek’. The English spelling was modified (c.1600) by association with the Latin word.
Idioms
an acquired taste
- a thing that you do not like much at first but gradually learn to like
- Abstract art is an acquired taste.