acquisition

noun

ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
plural acquisitions
Synonyms of acquisition
1
: the act of acquiring something
acquisition of property
the acquisition of knowledge
2
: something or someone acquired or gained
The team announced two new acquisitions.
acquisitional
ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
adjective
acquisitor
ə-ˈkwi-zə-tər How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
noun

Synonyms of acquisition

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Examples of acquisition in a Sentence

Steven Schwartzman, the billionaire CEO of Blackstone, suffers no personal liquidity problems. But his firm, and others like it—have had to call off a series of proposed acquisitions because they can't get financing. —Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008
The gifting of books, too, endured as a legacy of our book hunting. I quickly learned not to ask for newly published books as birthday or Christmas presents, since they provided my father with too little of a challenge. The measure of a gift's value was the amount of thought and effort that went into its acquisition. —Charles Mitchell, Bloomsbury Review, November/December 2002
McKnight and Ward, free-agent acquisitions who each have only one full season as a starter, have brought much-needed speed to the position. But rookie Chris Chambers, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, is the jewel. —Jeffri Chadiha, Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2000
the country's acquisition of new ships The big company's newest acquisition is a small chain of clothing stores. The museum has put its latest acquisitions on display.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In doing so, MLS changes its primary player acquisition window from winter (December/January) to summer (June/July). — John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026 For Stearns, trades that were well regarded at last year’s deadline almost universally flopped, as did January’s acquisition of Freddy Peralta. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 But the merger is currently on pause, as Paramount has since been hit with several lawsuits, including from 12 state attorneys general who claim the acquisition will kill competition in the film and television industries. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 Fifty people, selected through a civic lottery to reflect the UK’s diversity—including some with no art background—will advise on the gallery’s priorities, though not acquisitions or curatorial decisions. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquisition

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adquysicyoun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French acquisition, borrowed from Latin acquīsītiōn-, acquīsītiō, from acquīsī- (variant stem of acquīrere "to acquire") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acquisition was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing acquisition

Rhymes for acquisition

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Browse Nearby Words

acquisite
acquisition
acquisition cost
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Cite this Entry

“Acquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquisition. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

acquisition

noun
ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌak-wə-ˈzish-ən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
1
: the act of acquiring
2
: something acquired

Legal Definition

acquisition

noun
ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
1
: the act or action of acquiring
specifically : the obtaining of controlling interest in a company compare merger, takeover
2
: a thing gained or acquired

More from Merriam-Webster on acquisition

Nglish: Translation of acquisition for Spanish Speakers

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