ac ‧ quire W2 AC /əˈkwaɪə $ əˈkwaɪr/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ acquire ; noun : ↑ acquisition ; adjective : ↑ acquisitive ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: aquerre , from Latin acquirere , from ad- 'to' + quaerere 'to look for, obtain' ]
1 . formal to obtain something by buying it or being given it:
Manning hoped to acquire valuable works of art as cheaply as possible.
She has acquired an email address and a site on the WorldWide Web.
2 . to get or gain something:
The college acquired a reputation for very high standards.
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In everyday English, people usually say get rather than acquire :
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Where did you get that tie?
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He soon got a reputation for being unfriendly.
3 . to gain knowledge or learn a skill:
He spent years acquiring his skills as a surgeon.
Elsie acquired a good knowledge of Chinese.
4 . acquire a taste for something to begin to like something:
She had acquired a taste for European beer.
5 . an acquired taste something that people only begin to like after they have tried it a few times