acquired 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of acquirednext
1
as in adscititious

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2
as in nonhereditary

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acquired

2 of 2

verb

past tense of acquire
1
as in developed
to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in earned
to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of acquired
Adjective
Transferring to Paramount+ will be all content currently on BET+ – original and acquired – subject to rights restrictions and license expirations. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Scottish drinks company Edrington, which owns the Macallan and Highland Park, acquired a minor stake in the distillery in 2018, eventually gaining majority ownership in 2023. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2026 Ownday now has 669 stores from 460 stores when Lenskart acquired it. — Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Newly acquired Kevin Gausman is on the mound for the Cubbies. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The Dodgers acquired Skubal in an abundantly predictable bombshell trade with the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a trio of prospects, wanting to test the idiom that a ballclub can never have enough pitching. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Skubal also issued two walks and hit a batter with a pitch in just his second career appearance at Dodger Stadium, taking the mound nine days after the defending champions acquired him from Detroit in the biggest trade of the deadline. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The company acquired Synovus Financial, and the banks have yet to merge their branding. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Keanu Reeves, Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton headline a sprawling cast shot around a real Boeing 747 the director acquired for the production. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 Background and production The character of Ted Lasso first appeared in a 2013 NBC Sports promotional video after the network had acquired broadcast rights to air EPL soccer games. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquired
  1. incidental
  2. nonhereditary
  3. developed
  4. earned
  5. surface
  6. cultivated
  7. gained
  8. accidental
Adjective
  • For some patients, incidental expenses can put participation in a clinical trial out of financial reach.
    — Michelle Andrews, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The course wasn’t incidental to Gates’ professional career, either.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • Other research shows that nonhereditary forms can result from other factors, including existing medical conditions and diet, reports Maya Yang of the Guardian.
    — David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Aug. 2021
  • Evan, who turns 2 in December, was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare, nonhereditary genetic disorder that has a most cruel and unusual symptom — chronic hunger.
    — Maureen C. Gilmer, Indianapolis Star, 14 Sep. 2017
Definition of nonhereditary
Verb
  • The district developed an AI policy, seeking input from teachers, students and parents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For her cookbook, Pereira developed and perfected 100 original recipes with easy-to-find ingredients that infuse accessible dishes with rich flavors inspired by her Portuguese-Goan heritage and travels around the world.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • The university’s most recent tax filing shows Peavy earned $594,789 in compensation in 2024.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Maeda has earned a reputation for relentless pressing and work rate.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of earned
Adjective
  • Massachusetts is equipped for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, strike missions, special operations, and mine warfare.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Thanks to strong multi-surface suction, this upright vacuum can go right from the living room carpet to the kitchen without missing a beat (or a crumb).
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of surface
Verb
  • Newly interested in landscape design, Kim’s mother also cultivated the property’s garden, grooming its old red pine tree and planting the grounds with tulips, chrysanthemums, and daisies.
    — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The professor also said that products that are cell-cultivated will still taste different, no matter the packaging.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • Photo courtesy of Atlanta Police Department Police said Brown had gained the mother's trust over about a year.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Postpartum wristbands gained traction across the country through health awareness campaigns fueled by social media posts and evening news segments.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gained
Adjective
  • Some lawsuits have been filed by families of children and young adults who died by suicide after problematic use of social media, and families whose kids died from accidental overdoses from drug purchases facilitated by social platforms.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Now the accidental entrepreneur, Elizabeth Stein, is making the biggest sale of her life.
    — Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of accidental

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Cite this Entry

“Acquired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquired. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of acquired for Spanish Speakers

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