to come into possession or ownership of; get as one's own: to acquire property.
2.
to gain for oneself through one's actions or efforts: to acquire learning.
3.
Linguistics. to achieve native or nativelike command of (a language or a linguistic rule or element).
4.
Military. to locate and track (a moving target) with a detector, as radar.
Origin: 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
Related forms
ac·quir·a·ble, adjective
ac·quir·a·bil·i·ty, noun
ac·quir·er, noun
pre·ac·quire, verb, -quired, -quir·ing.
re·ac·quire, verb (used with object), -quired, -quir·ing.