acquire meaning
acquire :
to get, to gain
Verb
▪ She acquired a new book.
▪ She got a new book.
▪ He acquired new skills.
▪ He gained new skills.
paraphrasing
▪ obtain – to get
▪ gain – to receive
▪ secure – to get safely
▪ procure – to get with effort
Pronunciation
acquire [əˈkwaɪər]
The stress is on 'quire' and sounds like 'uh-kwyr'.
Common phrases and grammar about acquire
acquire - Common meaning
Verb
to get, to gain
Part of Speech Changes for "acquire"
▪ acquisition (noun) – the act of getting something
▪ acquired (adjective) – gotten or gained
Common Expressions with "acquire"
▪ acquire knowledge – to get information
▪ acquire skills – to gain abilities
▪ acquire a company – to buy a business
▪ acquire a taste – to start liking something
Important examples of acquire in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, acquire is often used to mean obtaining skills or assets.
Example of a confusing word: inquire (to ask)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
As a verb, acquire often requires an object, showing up in grammar questions as a transitive action.
acquire
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
acquire assets
'to get valuable things', used in business contexts.
acquire a taste for
means 'to start liking something over time'.
Differences between similar words and acquire
acquire
,
obtain
differences
Acquire means to get or gain something, while obtain often implies effort in getting something.
acquire
,
gain
differences
Acquire means to get or gain something, while gain often refers to gradual increase or improvement.
Words with the same origin as acquire
The origin of acquire
acquire comes from the Latin 'acquirere', which meant 'to seek or gain'.
Word structure
It has the prefix ac (to), root quir (seek), and suffix e (verb), so acquire means 'to seek to gain'.
Words with the same origin
The root of acquire is quir (seek). Words with the same root include inquire (to ask), require (to need).
